Way of the Wordsmith
by August Trinity
Summary: Nightline Wordsmith has discovered his talent and his purpose in Equestria. Given a home in Canterlot, his body has been magically enhanced so that he can better complete his mission of peace. To travel from city to city and offer solutions where fruitless conflicts rage on. But with his enhanced body has come an unforeseen and dire consequence.
1. Nightline Wordsmith

**Now I know what a lot of my followers must be thinking: "he's back? I thought he moved to Wattpad because he wasn't getting enough constructive criticism here?" And to answer your questions, yes. I'm back. I'm back because though I get no constructive criticism here, I get no reviews at all on Wattpad. And since I no longer pursue the profession of Author, I have no problem writing fanfics in my spare time. And so, alongside completing my previous fanfic of Zootopia, I am beginning this one. "My Little Pony?!" Yes, MLP. A few Brony friends got me watching the show, and I got hooked, so here I am. This first chapter is mainly a lot of filler, showing how this new character of mine fits in to the whole timeline. It becomes my own side story, however, in the next chapter. So as always, read, review, and enjoy!**

Way of the Wordsmith

Chapter 1

Erit Guption: A Stallion of power. No, not political. He was strong. Erit worked day by day as a mechanic, earning his living in bits. Aria Stargazer: a sumptuous Mare of great countenance. She worked as a mapper of stars, earning her keep by gaining and sharing knowledge. Such divergent souls, and yet upon meeting, their love became transcendent. And as their love grew, from it a little foal was born. Nightline Wordsmith: the smallest little pony that either of the two had seen. Regardless, the two were jovial. Finally, their son had come into the lands of Equestria! Surely, he would accomplish great things.

Nightline, a Unicorn, born with white fur and a light blue mane, was quite the thin little foal. His eyes were a light grey, and his horn radiated a silver glow when he used any magic. Because of his size, Erit saved up money to have him made a little grey hoodie to keep him warm. The boy rarely took the thing off; he loved it very much. As he grew, he was always told that he would do amazing things for the world; that his talent would be grand, and his Cutie Mark even more so. His parents were quite prodigal with their expectations, never ending their incessant pushes for him to find his talent. He spent most of his childhood trying his utmost to find something he was exceptional at. He went unsuccessful, and as his age group began earning their Cutie Marks, he and his parents became less and less hopeful. He had no brute strength, so he was by far no physical worker. He had no textile skills, nor any skills with magic. He couldn't farm, nor could he create pieces of artwork. His lack of a talent seemed to be an impenetrable wall! He began to understand just how distorted his knowledge of what the future held had been.

As the years passed, Nightline grew, turning fifteen. He still resided in the home of his parents, unable to get off his feet without a talent. As the year progressed, the time was drawing near to partake in the next Summer Sun Celebration, a holiday where Ponies come together to celebrate the raising of the sun on the longest day of the year. On that day, at the beginning of the first hour, Princess Celestia would come down to one town and be the guest of honor at a party for a few hours while everypony waited for her to use her magic to raise the sun. That year was special; the year of the Thousandth Sun. As such, the party itself was quite immoderate. For this Summer Sun Celebration, Celestia had chosen the town of Ponyville; Nightline's home town. Everypony was excited for the celebration; everypony but one, anyways.

Nightline noticed her immediately. A young purple unicorn by the name of Twilight Sparkle. She had arrived the previous morning from Canterlot; Princess Celestia's star pupil. From what Nightline could tell, her job was to oversee preparations for the party. But upon arrival in town, he noticed that her mind was elsewhere. Something different was going on in her head. Something far more grotesque than a party. He didn't pay much mind to it, as he had his own preparations to make. When the time came to gather, Nightline arrived with everypony else in Town Hall, still clad in his grey hoodie, and awaited Princess Celestia's arrival. Twilight was there as well, but she seemed more solemn than the others.

When the hour finally came of the beginning of the celebration, everypony quieted down cordially. Within moments, the town animal lover, Fluttershy, struck up her chorus of birds in song to introduce the Mayor of Ponyville: a tan old mare with a grey mane. She began to speak very formally.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts," she began, "as Mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!"

All in the audience broke out in a rapture. They quieted down within the minute so the Mayor could continue.

"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year!" She stated joyously, "And now, it is my great honor to introduce you to the ruler of our land. The very Pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day. The good, the wise, the bringer of harmony. The ruler of all of Equestria, Princess Celestia!"

The audience broke out in applause again. All eyes shifted to a balcony above the main stage, where a maroon curtain was pulled open, only to reveal nopony. None but the Pony in charge of opening the curtain, a white unicorn with a purple mane named Rarity, stood on that balcony. The audience fell into an eerie hush. Suddenly, the voice of Twilight Sparkle was heard above the quiet murmurs.

"This can't be good," she said.

"Remain calm, everypony. There must be a reasonable explanation," the Mayor said, her face showing no confidence in her words.

The entire audience all began trying their hand at figuring out where our Princess vanished to. This lasted only a few moments, with Nightline's head spinning with the mystery, before one high pitched voice let out a sudden yell, and everypony's eyes returned to the balcony, where a magical aura seemed to be forming. It was as if the aura was made of the night sky; it was the same deep color, peppered with sparkling stars. And from the aura, a dark mare appeared. Her fur color was black, and her mane was the same as the aura she appeared from. But most disturbing of all was that she was not an earth pony, nor a unicorn, nor a pegasus. She was another Alicorn, just like Princess Celestia. A Pony possessing both wings and a horn. Suddenly, her voice spoke in a malevolent tone.

"Oh, my beloved subjects," she said, "it's been so long since I've seen your faces."

Nightline was shaking; something about this mare made him fear even breathing. Her voice was large and audible, and her presence was more intimidating than any he'd ever felt. He prayed nopony would step out of line; insolence wouldn't be tolerated with this one. As if reading his mind, one blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane, Rainbow Dash, shouted out into the silence.

"What did you do with our princess?" She asked forcefully, before charging. She was held back by another pony.

The mare laughed maniacally, "Why? Am I not Royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am? Does my crown no longer count now that I've been imprisoned for a thousand years?" She asked, moving around from Pony to pony, getting frighteningly close to them, "Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs-"

"I did!" Twilight called out, silencing the mare and making Nightline clench up in fear, "And I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon!"

 _The mare in the moon?_ Nightline thought. _That's just an old mare's tale. A bedtime story, nothing more. Who is this Nightmare Moon?_

"Well well well," the mare spoke in reply, "someone who remembers me. Then you will also know why I'm here," she said, laughing again, "remember this day little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!"

With that cry and a cackling laugh, her name once again began to swell up in an aura of malevolence, this time swirling into a twister of stars above her. Within moments, Nightmare Moon was engulfed in her own mane, and in an instant, vanished. His legs trembling, Nightline made his way immediately for the exit. If anypony was to save Celestia, they would first need to know what kind of force they were dealing with. To learn that, Nightline intended to do a bit of research. He made his way straight for the Ponyville Library.

He spent hours researching, trying to find some rendition of the tale of the Mare in the Moon, but found nothing. Not of the Mare in the Moon, nor of this Nightmare Moon character who until this day he had never heard of. As what should have been mourning the next day came around, Nightline finally found the book he was looking for. He began reading the old fable to himself.

"Once upon a time," he started, "in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn, and the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects: all different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger Unicorn refused to lower the Moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon."

 _So that's who she is. Nightmare Moon is Princess Celestia's sister._

"She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to Ponyville: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her permanently in the Moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both the sun and moon, and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for the generations since."

Nightline sat, staring at the end of the book. He couldn't shake the thought that no matter her notorious reputation, the facts he had just read were erroneous. He couldn't get over a feeling that bitterness was not what led to the creation of Nightmare Moon. No, not bitterness at all, but loneliness. That poignant thought lingered in his head as he sat there. It wasn't until a few minutes later when he realized just how long he had been sitting in that library. He looked outside to see that the sun was up! It had returned, which could've only meant that Princess Celestia was free and Nightmare Moon defeated! He walked out of the library to find the town in rapture once again, all of them lining up to see a carriage go by, and inside, two Alicorns could be seen. Princess Celestia, and another, smaller Alicorn. Her fur was light purple, and her mane was similar to that of Nightmare Moon. But this Pony didn't have such a presence. Instead, she looked guilty and alone. Possibly a hint of fear in her as she cuddled up to Celestia for comfort.

 _Princess Luna,_ Nightline thought. _Of course, that must be the younger sister. Freed from the hold of Nightmare Moon._ Within the hour, they were gone; back to Canterlot they flew, and Nightline returned to his home with his head far from vacuous. Night had already begun to fall, so he went straight up to his room to sleep. And yet, he was restless. How could he sleep now, knowing that not a single pony was paying any thanks to Princess Luna for the beauty of the moon? The truth was, he couldn't. He had to do something. Something to show her that she wasn't alone. That she wasn't being shunned. Something to end the pain in her solemn heart. With a sigh, he stood from his bed and moved over to the open window, looking out at the full moon in the clear night sky.

With a deep breath, Nightline began to speak, "Good night, Princess Luna. I know today must have been a tough one for you. Things got a little rough. You went a little nuts," Nightline said, then cringed at his own words. Get it together, Wordsmith. Don't think, just speak from your heart. Don't hold back, be poignant. "But it's ok. You're a princess, but you aren't perfect. And you spent so much time alone. No love from your subjects, and no pity from your sister. I get it."

As Nightline continued to speak, he became more and more soulful. His words grew louder, more powerful by the second in a crescendo. As he continued to speak to and thank Princess Luna, and without his own knowledge, his horn began to glow it's silver aura, indicating that magic was taking effect. The Magic linked itself to his voice, making it smoother. The words came to him naturally, each one in perfect succession of the last. And as he continued to speak, a certain Princess began to listen.

"I know nobody says this to you, Princess. But the stories were wrong. You didn't transform because you were wanting more loyalty than your sister. It wasn't because you were bitter; it was because you were lonely. Ignored, cast aside. None ever gazed at the beauty of the moon and thought of you. And so, I come before you as a humble colt to say, thank you. Thank you for your gift of the moon and stars. Thank you for the gift of slumber, bringing everypony in Equestria to a unified peace beneath your watchful eyes. And thank you for not giving up on coming back to us," he concluded, and his horn ceased to glow.

Nightline closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, hoping that she had heard him. And when he opened them again and gazed up at the bright moon one last time, in its glow he saw the outline of a face; the face of Princess Luna, who looked down as him and smiled. He too smiled at her and bowed respectfully before returning to his bed, drifting into a peaceful sleep. The next morning, Nightline woke to find a jovial surprise. For in place of his once blank flank, a new Cutie Mark stood proud in the form of an open scroll and quill. _That's it. That's my talent; my talent is a talent for words. I am Nightline Wordsmith._


	2. The Search for Inspiration

**And welcome to Chapter 2, the real beginning of the story of Nightline Wordsmith. Now, I'm going to explain my basic formula for Author's notes. At the top is where I greet my readers, and then reply to any reviews I've recieved that need replying to, such as questions and inquiries. I've recieved no reviews, so there are none to respond to. Read on, and leave me a review!**

Chapter 2

Nightline was quick to inform his parents of his new Cutie Mark. They were just as ecstatic as he was, especially after he explained just how his discovery came to pass. He almost immediately set out that day in order to take his newfound magical voice for a test run. Out into Ponyville he trotted, walking the streets and looking for any who would take the time to talk with him. Or more accurately, any who would take the time to listen to him speak. This proved harder than he had originally anticipated, however, as few people wished to speak with the late bloomer of cutie marks. After a few hours of trying, Nightline began wondering if he shouldn't give up and try again the next day. He decided to make good on those thoughts, and began his trek home. He was stopped, however. By three small phillies.

"You got your Cutie Mark!" One of them shouted in a Cowgirl accent.

Nightline stopped in place and turned to see them. The only other late bloomers in Ponyville: Apple bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom, and Earth Pony, little sister to the resident farmers Big Macintosh and Applejack, is a little philly with pale yellow fur and a red mane. She wears a pink bow in her mane, as well. Sweetie Belle, a Unicorn like Nightline, is the little sister of the local Seamstress, Rarity. She has white fur with a pink tint, while her mane is a light purple with pink highlights. Scootaloo's family lineage is a mystery. She never introduces anypony to her parents, and is an only child. She's a Pegasus Pony, with dark orange fur and a dark pink mane. None of them had yet earned their Cutie Mark, while the rest of their age group were having better luck.

"What'd you get it for?" Sweetie Belle asked, all three of their gazes glued to his Cutie Mark.

"Well, it's actually an interesting story-" Nightline began, but was cut off.

"Does it have something to do with what happened yesterday?" Scootaloo shouted.

"I, uh...yeah, you could say that."

"Tell us!" Apple Bloom said excitedly.

He laughed, shaking his head at their antics, "then be quiet so I can. It happened yesterday, after Nightmare Moon came…"

Nightline began telling them the tale of how it all happened. They didn't seem all too interested in the fine details of how it all came to pass; what the room looked like, how many books he had piled up in the library, it was pointless to them. And the words weren't coming out as smoothly as the previous night. The three fillies looked bored. Feeling awkward about the whole situation, Nightline began to think.

 _What was it that made me so smooth last night? My voice was so soft. Every word I spoke was poignant. Now? My words are laughable. Last night, they started out the same way as now. Awkward, uncoordinated. All in all very rough. But then, suddenly, they just changed. What made them suddenly so good? All that happened was that I just started speaking from my heart. I told Princess Luna the things I felt, and spoke of things with emotion, not detail. That's it!_

Right as Nightline got to the part where he began speaking to the Moon Princess, he changed the way he told the story. No longer in detail, but instead with emotion. Only moments later did the phenomenon of the previous night repeat itself. Nightline's horn began to glow its silver aura, and the Magic linked itself to his voice. Suddenly, to the three phillies, the words he spoke weren't just words. His voice flowed like honey into their hearts. They felt every emotion he spoke with, and before their eyes, they say every detail he described play out. It was as if they were there that night, watching it all happen firsthand. Unknown to the focused colt, a small crowd had begun to gather, all listening to his tale with the same amazement. They watched in awe as the face appeared in the Moon; the face of Princess Luna, which smiled with joy down at the young Wordsmith. Their eyes lit up as they watched his Cutie Mark appear soon after falling asleep, and they all watched and felt his joy as he discovered it the next morning. As Nightline finished his story, the group stared at him in amazement.

"So, that's what I got my Cutie Mark for. My gift for words," he concluded.

It was only then that he noticed the large crowd all staring at him with hooked eyes. Soon enough, he got a few cheers, and suddenly everyone wanted to come talk with him. They wanted to know him. They wanted to be friends with he who tells the amazing stories. Nightline couldn't have been more jovial, but a sudden question brought all to silence.

"Do you have any more stories?"

The voice, female, came from somewhere in the crowd, but he didn't know who said it. To his and the crowd's dismay, he answered.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any others," he said, smiling awkwardly as he lowered his gaze.

With disappointed eyes, many of the ponies began to disperse. Needless to say Nightline felt a bit bad about all of them once again forgetting about his existence. Suddenly, the Mare responsible for the question emerged from the crowd. She was a pink Pegasus Pony, with a velvet mane. In it, a purple flower was clipped above her right ear. Her Cutie Mark was a paint pallet, and she was very beautiful.

"Well then you should write some," she said, her voice soft and sweet.

"Then I most certainly will," he replied, smiling, "my name is Nightline. Nightline Wordsmith."

She smiled as well, staring into his grey eyes, "Iris Pinkberry. It's really cool," she stated.

"What?" He asked, confused by the statement.

"The way you got your Cutie Mark. It's cool. Not everypony earns it by speaking to a Princess," she replied, then asked, "how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You used your magic to make your voice so smooth. Listening to you speak was amazing, and hearing the story wasn't like listening to a story. It was like living one," Iris explained.

"You know, I'm actually still working out the details on that one," Nightline replied, laughing and making her laugh along.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Nightline. You should definitely write some more stories to tell, and I'll be first in line to hear them," she said, then turned to walk away.

"Nice meeting you, too," he said as she walked away. He watched her walk until she was out of sight, unable to turn away, "Definitely."

Without another moment passing, Nightline rushed home. He couldn't explain the swelling in his heart, but his joy was never ending. Bursting through the front door of his home, he went straight to the supply closet to pull out a quill, some ink, and as much paper as he could manage with his limited magical strength. He took the supplies straight to his room, and without wasting a moment, sat down and began trying to think of a story. It was time to get off his hooves and get out there for himself. Soon did he realize, however, that writing a story would be harder than originally thought.

One hour, two, five, he lost track of how long he sat staring at the blank page before falling asleep. He woke the next morning to the shining of the sun through his closed eyelids, which disturbed his slumber. With a yawn, Nightline stood from his place on the floor and began cleaning up the unused writing supplies. He put each back in its place, before making his way downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast, where his parents were waiting. His father, Erit, sat reading a manual on carpentry, evidently refreshing his memory on woodwork, while his mother, Aria, was working on cooking breakfast. Nightline watched as she used her Unicorn Magic to manipulate the various items in the kitchen, the magical pink aura surrounding her horn and any object she wished to move.

"Morning," Nightline said groggily as he sat down, "what's cooking?"

"Morning son," Erit replied.

"Good morning. I'm making Cherry-Chongas," Aria said quickly after.

"What nows?"

"Cherry-Chongas. I was over at Sugar Cube Corner yesterday to see if there was anything I could snack on while I worked last night, and wouldn't you know it, Pinkie was in the kitchen. She was making a Cinnamon-covered breakfast pastry with a cherry filling, and she called it a Cherry-Chonga. She allowed me to sample it, the dear, and it was so good that I had to have the recipe. I'm sure you'll both like it as much as I did," she explained, making Nightline curious of the new dish.

Both he and his father tentatively took their first bite after the plates of food had been placed in front of them. Aria giggled to herself as the looks on the two Colts' faces turned from focused to blissful in a slow transition, before they dug into the meal.

"So I take it you like the Cherry-Chongas?" She asked.

"Sweet Celestia, they're good," Nightline replied, slightly muddling his words through stuffed cheeks.

"Yes, thank you honey. Very good indeed," Erit agreed.

She smiled at them before letting silence fall so they could all finish their meal. Erit had to be off to work soon after, and Nightline figured that if he wandered through town a bit, maybe some inspiration would come for a new story. Nightline left home soon after finishing his food, biding his parents goodbye before heading off. He had no destination in mind; he simply hoped to find some sort of inspiration. _Perhaps a stroll through the market,_ he thought. But the market held nothing for him. A few friendlier-than-usual faces, he guessed because of his new Cutie Mark, but nothing more. In the end, Nightline began allowing his hooves to take him around town, passing by many of the Ponyville residents with nothing beyond the usual happening. After nearly an hour, Nightline began feeling like going home to take a break. However, that feeling left him when he realized where he was: outside Rarity's Boutique. If anypony knew about finding inspiration, it was her. Making a unique outfit for every order wouldn't have been easy, but she managed. Consulting her was probably his best shot at finding himself some inspiration. With a hopeful smile, he approached the door. From inside, he could hear two familiar voices. Rarity, and a pink Pegasus Pony by the name of Iris; the one he'd met the previous day. He peaked in the front window to see if they were too busy to talk with him.

"Thank you for this, Darling. As you know, business will be flourishing next week. Everyone preparing for the Gala, and all coming to me for their ensembles," Rarity said, moving some dress designs around.

Iris was setting up a paint canvas in the middle of the room, along with a pallet of many different colors. "Oh, it's no problem. I owe you for that one time when my Mane got all frizzy right before Pinky's party. So, what's the theme you're trying to put up for this year?"

"Well, I was hoping that since it's being held in Canterlot, I could go for something a bit more Royal. As such, my designs are all very extravagant. Long dresses, bright colors, gemstones, fabulosity at its finest. Perhaps the banner should have both a Colt and Mare in royal garments beside each other," Rarity suggested.

"Say no more, I think I know just what you need," Iris announced, before taking the brush between her teeth and getting to work.

At that point, Nightline decided that Rarity wasn't too busy to chat for a few minutes, and walked through the front door. "Afternoon," he said, making his presence known.

Iris mumbled a greeting through the brush in her mouth, but remained focused. Rarity peeked from behind a mannequin to see who had entered her store.

"Oh, Nightline!" She said with a smile, "what brings you here? Have you outgrown your Cardie again?"

"No, the sweater still fits me fine, thank you. I've actually come to ask for a little bit of advice," Nightline explained.

Rarity came to full attention at hearing his answer and approached him accordingly, a look of sweet concern on her face.

"You see," he continued, "I received my Cutie Mark the other night-"

"That you did!" Rarity exclaimed, glueing her eyes to his flank, "Oh, it's fabulous! What's it for?"

Nightline laughed, "I earned it by speaking to Princess Luna," he explained, earning a gasp from Rarity which made Iris giggle, "you see, after she and Celestia returned to Canterlot, I felt bad. Not a single pony was saying that they loved her as much as her sister, so I spoke to her that night. And when I spoke from my heart, my voice became soft and smooth. My words became captivating, and the next day, yesterday, I figured out why. When I speak like that, my magic links to my voice, and makes it a force of wonder. That's what it's for. My ability to make magic with words."

Rarity seemed a bit confused, but Nightline didn't know any other way to explain it. Luckily, Iris decided to step in and help him out.

"I was there, yesterday. He was telling the story of how he got his Cutie Mark, and while he spoke, his horn was glowing. Listening to the story wasn't like listening at all. It was like I was there, in his bedroom, watching him talk to Princess Luna. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen any Unicorn do, save for change night and day," she explained, and this time Rarity understood.

"Well well well, young Wordsmith is a wordsmith indeed. So, why do you need my advice for that?"

"Uh, well, since telling stories to Ponies is my talent, Iris told me I should write some more to tell. I sat staring at a blank piece of paper for hours, but I couldn't think of anything. So I wanted to ask, where is it you get your inspiration from? For your outfits, I mean," Nightline asked, with a hint of pretension in his voice.

Rarity took on a look of thought for a few moments, before turning away from him so she could gaze at the interior of her boutique.

"My inspiration? It comes from life, dear. From the world. With every individual Pony, I see a new design which would be perfect for them," she explained, "So if what you're saying is that you can't find any inspiration, then maybe you just need to live a bit longer and wait for life to happen."

Nightline considered her words for a good few minutes, standing there in silence. The only sound was that of a paintbrush on a canvas, as Iris continued her favor for Rarity. It was those good few minutes later when the present artist broke the silence.

"It's done," she said, "come tell me what you think."

Rarity walked over to inspect the artwork, and gasped. "Oh, it's marvelous!" She exclaimed, "you always get it perfect, dear."

Curiously, Nightline walked around the canvas to see the art for himself. What he found was stunning. In the painting, the sky was lit. Half of it by a sunset on the leftmost side, but that sunset transitioned into a moonlit night at the center and the full moon glowed brightly on the rightmost side. In the center of it all stood a detailed rendition of the boutique which glimmered elegantly in the two types of luminescents coming down. In the foreground, in front of it all, were two ponies. One mare, one Stallion. Both earth Ponies. Sterling white coats glimmering in the light, and Draped over each was a beautiful ensemble. As Nightline took in the image before him, something amazing began to happen. In his mind, a story began to unfold. A story of love, adventure, and chivalry in the face of certain death.

"What do you think?" Iris asked, looking Nightline in the eyes as he stared at the painting.

"Yeah, it's really good," he said, trailing off in his own mind.

" _And my dearest love,_ " he said, " _I shall never leave you behind._ "

"What?" Iris and Rarity said in unison, looking quizzically at Nightline.

What? He thought to himself. Did I say that out loud?

"Nothing, just thinking out loud," he replied, awkwardly, "I should head home. It's nearly lunch time, and I think I have something to put down on paper now."

 **At the bottom of each chapter, I usually leave info regarding the next chapter, as in when it can be expected and if there are any delays. Leave me a review!**


	3. Letter from Canterlot

**Ya'll are gonna love this, but in this chapter's place, I accidentally posted Chalter 4. Anyone who already read Ch. 4 and we're really confused, this may clear things up.**

Chapter 3

Over the next few weeks, Nightline wrote and perfected the story which Iris' painting had brought to mind. It was a story of a Prince; an Earth Pony, and a Stallion. The Prince was set to be married to a Princess of a far away land, and with their love, their people would be united and prosperous. But a dark force wanted nothing more than to start a war between the two kingdoms, and to do that, it corrupted the Prince's heart and turned him to darkness, leaving only one who could win back his love.

"Every force of light has a shadow, for one cannot exist without the other. And so, for every magical force of good, there is a magical force of evil." Nightline read the words out loud, practicing for the first time he would read them to another Pony.

Of course, the story ended with the Princess winning back the Prince's love, and thus returned the light to his heart. They were married, and the prince swore to never abandon his love, saying, "And my dearest love, I will never leave you behind." After many weeks of work, Nightline had finally perfected the story. It was finally time to go out and read it to all who would listen, and so he did. With burlap saddlebags full of paper strapped to his back, he made his way to the center of Ponyville, where a pink stone fountain sat. He found himself a nice place to sit, leaning against the wall of the fountain, and began pulling out all of his papers and putting them in order. A sudden voice from beside him made Nightline jump and nearly scramble the papers.

"What you got there?" a friendly pink pegasus asked.

With deep breaths and chuckle, Nightline replied, "Good morning to you too. Sit for a minute and maybe you'll find out."

Iris smiled and laid down beside him, staring at the pages as he organized them. The words meant little to her; she paid them no mind. Her only focus was preparing herself to finally hear more from the magical voice of Nightline Wordsmith, which she had been waiting for since she first heard him speak. It took a few minutes, but when he was ready, he began to read, and his horn began to glow.

"Once, in a time long ago, there lived two kingdoms. Divided, neither prospered, and neither knew of the other's existence. In one kingdom, money was plentiful, but with food supplies running low, the brave Prince of that kingdom set out to find help. Someone who had more food, so that he could buy high stalks and bring his kingdom back to prosperity. However, the other kingdom was no better fairing. Their farms were high of profit, but without any roots for trade, they were a poor people. And so, their Princess set out as well in hopes of finding somewhere to pave a road to prosperity for her country. And as destiny is a river, the Prince and Princess flowed together, and met in a forest of beauty."

Nightline continued to read to his starstruck friend with a smile. He put much emotion into every word, and those emotions were felt by all who stopped to listen. Every Philly, every Foal. Every Colt and Mare who passed by and caught an ear of his words was drawn in by his deep, silky voice. The ponies all smiled as they watched the scenes playing out before them. It was love at first sight, when the Prince and Princess met. And with their love came a plan to bring their Kingdoms together. One of wealth, one of prosperity, and together, their nation would be grand. Each and every pony listening to the story felt the joy of their meeting, and each one of them felt the pain in the Princess's heart when the dark force corrupted the Prince's heart. By the end of the story, tears were flowing from the eyes of many mares. Not tears of sadness; tears of joy. Joy which overflowed in their hearts and poured from their eyes. They cried and watched as the Prince and Princess came together again, at last, and spoke their wedding vows.

"'And my dearest love,' he said, 'I shall never leave you alone.' With a passionate kiss, the love sealed itself between them, and thus, the kingdoms were united. The End," Nightline finished, and the glow from his horn faded.

All present then applauded him for his story. Nightline couldn't have been more proud of himself; so many smiles, so much emotion which he just poured into the hearts of all the ponies who stopped to listen. Many came up to speak to and congratulate him. One group in particular caught his attention as they all approached together. He had never expected quite the diverse group of souls to come together before him.

There were seven of them. Leading the group was Twilight Sparkle, the Unicorn who also happened to be the magical prodigy of Princess Celestia herself. On her back sat her assistant, Spike. He was a dragon; Small, purple and green, and quite enthusiastic. The group also held Rarity, the one who Nightline had gone to see for advice on finding inspiration. On the far left, an Earth Pony stood strong, dawned in her Cowgirl hat. She was a dark tan mare with a blond mane by the name of Applejack; Apple Bloom's older sister and arguably the head of Sweet Apple Acres. Standing next to Twilight was a cute yellow Pegasus Pony with a pink mane. Her name was Fluttershy, and she was the local animal lover. She understood them in ways nopony else could, which Nightline found interesting. Hovering above them all was the very spontaneous Pegasus, Rainbow Dash. As her name would suggest, Rainbow is a blue pony with a multicolored Mane. She happens to be the local athlete, and self-proclaimed best flyer in Equestria. Bouncing behind them all was a pink Earth Pony with a cotton candy mane: Pinkie Pie. This pony was the very definition of Party Pony. She threw parties whenever she had the chance. All seven of them approached with smiles. Twilight also smiled, but seemed to be more curious than happy or proud.

"Darling, where in Equestria did you find the inspiration for that?" Rarity asked, exasperated.

Before Nightline could answer, Applejack cut in, "I reck'n even Granny Smith couldn't spin a yarn like that!"

"That was really cool! It was like looking at a picture, except the picture was moving and we could see everything and feel everything, and it was kinda like mind control! But not bad mind control, like good mind control where you-" Pinkie began speaking very quickly, almost too fast and jittery to be understood, but was interrupted by Twilight's hoof being planted firmly in her mouth.

Fluttershy was next to take her turn at speaking, lowering her eyes shyly and saying, "Um...it was really good, I mean-"

"That was awesome! I mean, it makes bookworms seem like they might not be eggheads after all. Well, not entirely, anyways," Rainbow blurted out, hovering directly above Nightline in very close proximity.

Iris couldn't help but giggle as she watched it all take place. So many voices all hammering Nightline with compliments, and he was looking quite flustered. Finally, one shout from Twilight silenced them all.

"I think we can all agree, the story was amazing," she said, glaring back at her friends who all stood smiling innocently, "But if I may, I'd like to ask you something."

"Go ahead. I'm an open book...eh, so to speak," Nightline replied, making himself laugh. Comedy didn't seem to be his strong suit, however, as the only Pony there who laughed other than him was Pinkie Pie, and who was to say how much of a compliment that really was.

"Well, I noticed that while you were telling the story, your horn was glowing. But I've never read about any spell that does anything like what you just did," Twilight explained, "so, what exactly did you do?"

Nightline let an awkward smile crawl up his cheeks, "Honestly, I'm not sure. It just happens when I speak from my heart. The Magic links itself to my voice, and then when people listen, that's what happens."

"And it only works for telling stories?"

"What?" He asked in reply, drawing all eyes.

"Your spell. Does it only work when you tell stories, or does it work on your voice in general?" She specified.

Nightline thought for nearly a full minute in silence. He hadn't ever tried to use his magic for anything other than a story.

"I've never tried it on anything else," he replied, "what else could I use it for?"

"Maybe a poem," Twilight offered

"Oh, that sounds lovely. A nice sonnet, perhaps," agreed Rarity.

"You could give yodlin' a go," Applejack said, giving a much less inviting option.

"Maybe you could try talking, or maybe, if you don't mind, singing a lullaby?" Fluttershy quietly said, obviously referring to it being for her many pets.

"Oooooh, maybe you could make your voice really really loud," Pinkie offered and began bouncing around with glee, "like using a bullhorn, but not a bullhorn so you sound like a bullhorn but it's actually just you being really really loud."

Nightline gave great thought to the possibilities. Could his voice really be more than a tool for Storytelling? He decided that that would be his next task upon reading his story to the majority of Ponyville.

"I'll definitely look into it-" he began, but was cut off by an aggressive Pegasus.

"Why not just try it now?" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Whoa there Bessy, I still need yer help harvestin' them Golden Delicious Apples," Applejack interjected, "and it's still plenty early to get it done by noon."

Suddenly the expression on Rainbow's face changed to one of awkward remembrance. "Oh, I uh, just remembered. I'm busy today. Sorry AJ, gotta go!" She shouted, before bolting off through the air and out of sight.

"Well there goes that help. Guess I'm losin' this one," Applejack said, lowering her eyes in defeat.

"Lose what?" Spike asked curiously, leaning forward on Twilight's head as she turned to face the tan Earth Pony.

"Well, I bet Big Macintosh that I could harvest all the Golden Delicious by noon. I was gonna have Rainbow Dash help me out, but ah guess she's busy," she explained.

"Oh, well, Spike and I don't have any plans for the day. We could come help you out," Twilight offered, making her little assistant comically fall off her back in surprise.

"But what about snack time!" He exclaimed, but was ignored by the two.

Seeing this made Nightline and Iris laugh quietly as they observed with amusement. Applejack regained the normal headstrong look in her eyes, and thanked Twilight profusely. The two of them then said their goodbyes and left for Sweet Apple Acres, leaving only Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Iris, and Nightline standing by the fountain.

"Well, all's still the same, Darling. It was a lovely little fable, and I look forward to hearing more of them," Rarity said, "now I'm off to my boutique. I've still got many ensembles to complete before the Gala and time is only getting less plentiful. Tata!"

With that, Rarity was gone. Nightline then realized that at some point in Rarity's farewell, Fluttershy had slipped away. He assumed due to the fear of being the last one there to talk with him and Iris. This left only Pinkie Pie, who smiled widely and without a word, bounded off towards Sugar Cube Corner in a scarily happy and odd manner. Both Nightline and Iris turned their heads to follow her movement until she was out of sight, at which point they exchanged a glance.

"I have no idea," Iris finally said, making the both of them laugh.

"And we'll never know," Nightline added, "I should be off now. I've more people to tell my story to, and a spell to understand. I'll see you around."

Iris stood from her seated position and met Nightline at the eyes, "Count on it."

With that, they parted ways. Nightline spent the next few hours walking around Ponyville and repeatedly reading his story to its inhabitants. Each time he told the story, he got the same reaction. His Magic was really working for him. Everypony felt the emotion of every word. No Mare could fight off the rage as the witch corrupted the Prince, and even the toughest of Colts couldn't fight back the tears as the Princess won back the heart of the Prince. As word began to spread about Nightline telling a new story, all who hadn't heard him yet had begun searching for him. And as his voice carried from mind to mind and heart to heart, two powerful figures began watching and listening with a magical eye.

These figures, both Alicorns, watched the effect Nightline's words had on the Ponies of Ponyville with captive interest. They were sisters, one of which who was more acquainted with young Wordsmith than the other. That sister was the Moon Princess, Luna. The other, the older of the two, was the Princess of the Sun, Celestia. As they watched, they wondered just as Twilight had how exactly his spell worked. For even their teacher, Starswirl the Bearded, hadn't mentioned any such voice enhancing Magic. They continued to watch him for most of that morning, hours passing of the same story, but them being unable to feel the effect of his spell vicariously, they could not understand exactly what it was doing. And so, with an agreement between them, Princess Celestia took up a quill and paper and began writing a note.

The rest of that day went by fairly normally. All was in order, save for Twilight and her band of friends wreaking havoc on each other over what he discovered to be Twilight possessing two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala: for herself and a second. Nightline wasn't one to fight for going to such an event, so he left the rest of Ponyville to chase and fight for the extra ticket. He himself planned on heading home and resting after a long day of speaking to just about everypony in town. However, he wouldn't be so lucky. As he was approaching his front door, a grey Pegasus with a blond Mane and rather askew eyes came crashing down on him from above. She and Nightline both laid there for a few moments, him groaning and her remaining silent. When they finally stood, she removed a scroll from her mailbag and attempted to pass it on to him. He was struck frozen when he saw it: the paper, rolled perfectly and sealed in a white strip of cloth with the royal horseshoe insignia made it clear where the letter had come from: Castle Canterlot. Nightline quickly took the letter, thanked the Pegasus, and rushed up to his bedroom, passing his parents and dinner right by. He opened the letter timidly, and began to read.

Here yee, here yee,

From the Royal halls of Castle Canterlot, we the Princesses of Sun and Moon do cordially request an audience with the Unicorn Pony known as Nightline Wordsmith at his next convenience for the analysis and discourse of his future in relation to his engagement to the labor services here in Canterlot. We ask that he come prepared to stay for three suns and three moons. He will be housed in Castle Canterlot, and will be fed accordingly. Do send us a letter through the assistant of Twilight Sparkle when you have a reply.

Signed,

-Princess Celestia, Princess Luna

Nightline was ready to explode. He read the letter over and over, but was still in disbelief. How could they want me? What could I have done? He thought. Almost as soon as he came to terms with what the letter was saying, there was a precarious knock on his bedroom door.

"Nightline, sweetie? Is everything alright?" His mother, Aria Stargazer, asked through the door.

Nightline quickly opened the door with his magic and turned the letter to face his surprised mother, "Mom, read this!"

She took the letter from him tentatively and began reading. Her eyes grew wider with every word, and as she reached the end, she looked at him with eyes bulging.

"Erit!" She screamed, her voice full of joy hidden in her sheer volume.

Nightline's father came bounding up the stairs and into the room as fast as he could, thinking something was wrong. When he arrived, Aria did to him the same thing that Nightline had done to her.

"Read this!" She shouted, moving the letter in front of his face.

He had a similar reaction to Aria's. He looked at Nightline with wide eyes, a smile spreading across his face, and he let out a cry for joy which rang through their home.

"'for analysis and discourse in relation to his future engagement to the labor services here in Canterlot,'" Erit quoted from the paper, "Do you know what this means, son? They want to-"

"Talk to me about giving me a job in Canterlot," Nightline cut in, "I have to reply to them right away!"

 **Again, sorry for the mixup!**


	4. Iris the Market Guide

**And here's Chapter 4! Still no review replies, so get right to reading.**

Chapter 4

Nightline didn't wait a single moment to gallop past his parents and to the supply closet, where he pulled out the nicest paper he could find along with a quill and a vial of ink. He nearly ran his parents down as he sprinted past them back into his bedroom. The door slammed shut, nearly smacking them in the rear in the process. This made them both laugh, glancing back at the closed door as they could hear a quill furiously scraping against paper.

"To the grand Princesses of Castle Canterlot, your letter has been received. I will set out at dusk tomorrow, when the moon rises full on the horizon. I will travel by the moon for two cycles before reaching Canterlot. I eagerly await delivering an audience to the Princesses of Sun and Moon," Nightline said aloud as he wrote.

When the letter was complete, Nightline rolled it into a scroll and wrapped it in a blank tan cloth to seal it shut. He didn't wait a moment to rush from his home and make a straight beeline for the Library, where Twilight Sparkle and her assistant Spike were taking residence. When the tree which served as the Ponyville Center of Literature came into view, young Wordsmith only picked up his pace. Exiting the front door was the same group of Ponies who Nightline had spoken to earlier that same day. Each of them was happily carrying a golden slip of paper which served as their entrance to the Grand Galloping Gala. Spike also held one, skipping gleefully along behind all except Applejack, who stood behind giggling at his behavior.

"Spike!" Nightline called out when he reached within a few meters of them.

He had gone unnoticed by the seven until he made his voice heard. All their eyes glued to him as he firmly planted his hooves into the ground, creating a line in the dirt as he slid to a stop right in front of the small Dragon. While this happened, Spike had clenched his eyes shut and held out his arms in fear, preparing himself for the impact of the young foal. However, Nightline stopped just inches before impacting.

"I need you to send this to Canterlot right now!" He exclaimed, hovering the rolled up paper into Spike's hands.

Spike had to blink a few times before he could register what had just happened, "Uh, no offense, but I can't send just anything to Princess Celestia you know."

"No, it's-"

"He's right, Nightline," Twilight interrupted, "Only royal business between Celestia and I is suppose to go through Spike."

Nightline gave the two of them a blank stare as he pulled out the letter he had received from Canterlot. He opened it and promptly presented it to the eyes of all seven present Ponies.

"Just read this."

All of their eyes promptly glued to the words on the page. Nightline watched as their eyes shifted from side to side in unison, moving down the lines of the letter. They all shared the same look of disbelief as they finished the letter and glanced up to see the smirk on his face.

"Well fiddle my sticks," Applejack said, a smile on her face, "What a chance! Are ya thinkin' ah goin'?"

"Hence why he's here, dear," Rarity said sarcastically, making Nightline chuckle.

With a more accepting tone, Spike began opening the letter and said, "I'll need to inspect this." He then cleared his throat and began to read, "To the grand Princesses of Castle Canterlot, your letter has been received. I will set out at dusk tomorrow, when the moon rises full on the horizon. I will travel by the moon for two cycles before reaching Canterlot. I eagerly await delivering an audience to the Princesses of Sun and Moon, signed Nightline Wordsmith."

Twilight giggled at the letter, "Spike, when was the last time I wrote so formally to Princess Celestia?"

"You stopped doing that within the first year of being her student. This looks fine, but I'll send it with the Royal Seal just to be safe," Spike replied, pulling out the golden seal with the horseshoe in the shape of a C. From where he retrieved it, Nightline couldn't tell, but he watched intensely as the little purple dragon wrapped the letter and sent it off in a puff of green flame.

"When will the letter arrive?" He asked

"They usually get to her pretty fast," Twilight replied, "and she replies fairly quickly as well. Shouldn't be long."

As if on cue to Twilight's words, Spike's cheeks puffed up before he belched out another puff of green flame. In the flames, a new scroll materialized with the royal seal wrapped around its center.

"You weren't kidding," Nightline said jokingly.

Spike was quick to open the letter and begin reading, "We're glad to hear it. However, you needn't worry about travel time. We here in Canterlot are well equipped and prepared to send a Pegasus-drawn chariot to give you quick and safe passage directly to the Castle. The chariot will be sent at your desired time: dusk, tomorrow. However, due to your desired time, you will be shown to your room upon arrival and will sleep the night until morning, when you will be shown to the dining room to join Princess Luna and I (Princess Celestia) for breakfast. Signed, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

Nightline's excitement was clear as he quickly thanked Spike for his help and ran back home before anyone could say anything to him. Even Pinkie Pie was left speechless by his sudden burst of happiness. The six Ponies and dragon all watched him until he was gone, before all exchanging glances.

"Wow, I can't imagine being called to Canterlot for a job," Fluttershy said quietly.

"Oh, what a joy it would be to have royalty coming to me for their fashionable needs!" Rarity added euphorically.

"Anyone else think he needed to calm down on the excitement, though?" Pinkie's high voice said, as she narrowed her eyes. Everyone present looked at her as if she were crazy, before most of them broke out in laughter.

Nightline went to bed that night full of excitement. If the Princesses had a job offer for him, then surely his talents were great! He could barely force himself to fall asleep, but sure enough, he did. His sleep was dreamless, and he woke early the next morning. He couldn't wait to get started, and did just so. Putting on his sweater, he quickly began packing himself everything he thought he would need. His burlap saddlebags were filled with paper, quills, a copy of the story he wrote, and some cloth patches in case his sweater happened to rip. When he thought he was done packing, he began doing a check through it all to ensure he wasn't missing anything.

"Quills, paper, patches, story," Nightline said out loud, "Quills, paper, patches, story-where in Equestria is my ink?"

The young Unicorn quickly began searching through his room for the small jar of ink, but discovered it was nowhere to be found.

"Mom!" He called out to the house.

"Yes dear?" Aria replied from the kitchen downstairs.

"Do you know where my ink is?"

"Your father had to use the last of it for some blueprints," she said, "He left some bits on the table for you to pick up some more from the market."

"Thank you!" He replied, closing his bags and making his way downstairs. He walked into the kitchen to find his mother once again cooking.

"You want some breakfast?"

"I'll have some when I get back," he said, using his magic to grab the bits off the table before trotting out the door.

Nightline wasted no time heading straight for the market. However, he found himself in quite a fix once he got there. Whenever any shopping had ever been done, it was by his mother or father. Occasionally he would tag along, but he had never paid much attention to what vendors sold what. He knew he had his work cut out for him as he began his walk through the streets. There were vendors selling every kind of knick-knack one could think of. Others sold different food goods, and others still sold textile products, but none seemed to sell stationery.

He wandered about like a helpless child for the better part of an hour before anyone came to his rescue. And who else would come but a pink Pegasus Pony with the image of a paint pallet on her flank. Iris Pinkberry had been on her way into the market for a similar reason. She was running low on her various paints and inks, as well as canvas paper, so she was making a quick supply run. On her way to the desired shop, she never imagined running into Nightline.

"Hey, Nightline," she said sweetly as she trotted over to his location.

Nightline looked in the direction of the voice calling his name and smiled immediately, "Oh, Iris! How are you?"

"I'm doing fine. And yourself?" She asked in reply, moving to where she was walking beside him.

"Wonderfully, thank you," he answered.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Oh, I'm just, uh," he said, awkwardly, "just exploring the market."

"You're lost, aren't you?" She blatantly inquired.

"As a bat on the grassy plains," he replied with a goofy smile, making the both of them laugh. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could buy some ink, would you?"

Iris giggled, and then replied, "Follow me."

With a smile, she led the way, and with a smile, Nightline followed. He couldn't quite wipe that smile off his face, either. It was strange; only around Iris did he feel so comfortable and happy. Little did he know, it was the same for Iris. In her life, she had never made the best of friends. Sure, she had more Ponies than Nightline had in the past years of his life, but they weren't good Ponies. They led her down the wrong path. Before she ever earned her Cutie Mark, she wanted to fit in. The other fillies welcomed her, so long as she did what they did. Being different wasn't a welcome thing. But one day, she broke off from them. She found her skill with artistry, and learned that standing out wasn't a bad thing. Color is more beautiful than grey, and so she would paint all of Equestria with her colors. The day she realized that was the day she earned her Cutie Mark. However, even so, she was afraid of getting close to people. She made friends, but their relationships were never more than skin deep. But for some reason, around Nightline, she felt more comfortable. More at home. The same way he felt around her.

"The vendor who sells stationery is right around the corner. I get all my supplies from him," Iris said as they neared a fork in the road.

"You must come here often," Nightline stated.

"What do you mean?" She inquired.

"Well, you seem to know your way around."

"Oh, well yeah. I make a living by painting things for people. That requires a lot of supplies," she said, giggling.

Nightline smiled at her statement, but said nothing as they arrived at their desired cart. The stallion running the cart looked middle-aged. His coat was brown, while his mane and mustache were both black.

"Back again, Iris?" He asked, a warm grin on his face.

"Hey, Bit. Yeah, I'm a little low on paint and canvas paper. Also, my friend here needs some ink," she replied, motioning to Nightline.

"Ah, the Wordsmith. Writing a new story, are we?"

Nightline was surprised that this old shopkeeper knew him, and so he stuttered, "Oh, uh, I'm just preparing for-"

"Well, whatever it is, I'm glad to help," the colt interrupted, taking hold of and shaking Nightline's hoof, "Bitamesh Stock, friend's call me Bit."

"Nice to meet you," the confused unicorn replied, trying to keep pace with the old geaser, "Uh, I'm just looking to restock on some black ink."

"Well, you've come to the right place!" He shouted, before disappearing beneath his cart.

Aside from Bit's muffled grumbling and sound of various merchandise items being moved around, nothing could be heard. Nightline slowly shifted his gaze over to his guide, who exchanged the same glance with him.

"Yeah, he's a handful," Iris admitted, causing them to quietly laugh.

When Bitamesh finally showed himself again, he brought with him a plethora of items. The first thing to be placed on the counter were a few containers of plain black ink, followed by multicolored paints and some packages of canvas paper. Before long, the three ponies had finished their transactions and the two who were able left the market. Nightline and Iris continued to walk together, as the pink Pegasus accompanied her new friend on his trip home.

"So, are you enjoying the life of a working colt?" She inquired.

"Yeah, but I didn't exactly expect to be making trips to the market just to be able to work," Nightline admitted.

"Right? All anyone ever sees of our line of work is the finished piece, but there's a lot of effort that goes into it."

"I know!" he exclaimed, "But the work does have its payoff. You seem to live a fairly happy lifestyle, and with me going to Canterlot tonight, there's no telling-"

"Hold up, what?" Iris interjected, bringing them to a stop, "Canterlot?"

Nightline's face took on a look of realization, "Oh, that's right! I didn't tell you," he said, continuing their walk, "You remember how I originally got my Cutie Mark? Well, that apparently caught the attention of some employers in high places. Yesterday, I received a letter from the Princesses themselves offering me a job in canterlot. I don't know the details, but I'm going to Castle Canterlot tonight and staying a few days to work them out," he finished, right as they started to pass by Rarity's Boutique.

"Sweet Celestia, Nightline...what a chance!" Iris exclaimed, "A job working for the Princesses. You'd practically be royalty! A single commission from them would make my art so valuable, everyone from Canterlot to Manehatten would be sending me orders. But to be a permanent employee; words cannot describe! You'd better not be picky, Nightline, because," she sputtered out, but stopped speaking entirely when she looked to find that her friend was nowhere in sight. "Nightline?"

Little did she know that Nightline had been very suddenly pulled away and into Rarity's Boutique, where the door was locked and he was trapped inside. The only Pony besides him inside was Rarity herself, who seems to be running around trying to find different fabrics and stencils of all shapes and colors.

"Uh, Rarity? Are you alright?" Nightline asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Am I alright?" She asked in reply, looking at him with crazed eyes before continuing on her frantic collection of items, "a Unicorn who I've clothed since he was a foal is going to Castle Canterlot tonight and staying for a few days. And what does he have to wear? Nothing but an old sweater!" She exclaimed, looking at him with crazed eyes once again.

"Rarity, the sweater is fine, I love it-"

"No, I won't have it! No customer of mine is going to Canterlot without the proper outfit."

"I don't need-"

"Shush."

"But I-"

"I won't hear it!" She forcefully shouted, silencing Nightline entirely, "Now, the first thing we need to do is add some color to your ensemble. Grey is much too bland."

With that said, Rarity's horn began to sparkle and glow, along with the various rolls of various colors of fabric which also began to float around the room. Nightline was soon to discover just how talented Rarity was with a needle and fabric, for within moments and a flurry of color, he was already covered in a basic outline for a full-fledged suit, with even a monocle included.

"No, pinstripe doesn't work with your hair. Maybe something to compliment that blue," she wondered, removing the suit and starting again.

The next outfit she donned him in was a semi-formal azure shirt and baby-blue tie, but she soon decided that not only were the colors too vibrant, but the silver of his eyes was completely overshadowed. Outfit after outfit was put on Nightline's body, but for one reason or another, they weren't right. Too out of style, or not the right color. After what seemed like an eternity of this nightmarish Dress-Up Game, Rarity finally collapsed onto the ground, her demeanor showing total defeat. As the glow of her horn faded, all the items hovering around Nightline also dropped, leaving him in only a grey vest with no design.

"Oh, I give up!" She cried out, "I could never design something grand enough for a meeting with the Princesses!"

With over dramatic tears streaming down her face, along with a bit of makeup, the fashionable mare stormed off into one of the side rooms of the boutique. This left only Nightline in the room, standing rather confused and without any knowledge of what exactly he should do.

"Don't worry," a sudden voice said, startling the colt, "she's just in a slump."

Nightline turned to see that standing in the doorway was Rarity's little sister, Sweety Belle. Without waiting for a response, the little filly walked past him and towards the room Rarity vanished into.

"I'll go talk to her."

With that, she was gone. Muffled voices could be heard through the closed doorway, but Nightline still tried not to eavesdrop. Suddenly, the relative silence was broken by an earth-shaking cry. This was soon followed by the door the two had went through busting open, forced to do so by a literal river of tears which carried Sweety Belle out of the room with it. As the liquid dispersed, the little Philly drifted to a stop right beside Nightline, leaving both Unicorns with a look of shock on their faces.

"If you needed an outfit within the next few years, you're in trouble," she stated plainly, "what in Equestria is she trying to make you, anyways?"

"An outfit to meet the Princesses in," he replied.

After a few moments of silence, Sweety Belle finally stated in a straight tone, "you're doomed."

Nightline sighed and said, "I should probably get going. I've only got a couple hours until I leave," before beginning to walk towards the door.

"Ok," she replied.

The young Wordsmith was stopped in his tracks, however, by another loud and quite pitiful cry from the other room. As much as he wanted to leave, Nightline didn't feel it was right to do so without at least trying to talk to Rarity. And so, with little enthusiasm, he turned and made his way towards the now open door leading to what he discovered to be Rarity's bedroom.

"Rarity?" He said, peeking in, "are you-"

His words were cut short as a magical aura slammed the door in his face, subsequently hitting him in the nose. After taking a moment to recover, he once again approached the now closed door, stopping in front of it.

"Rarity, can we talk? Please?" He asked.

"Go away! I'm a failure!" She sobbed in reply.

Nightline sighed once more, and said, "No, Rarity. You're not-" but he stopped mid-phrase.

What could he say that could change how this mare felt about herself? Of course, he knew she'd get over her slump, as she always had, but Nightline felt partly if not mostly responsible for this one. He wanted to help, in any way possible. The entire scene he was stuck in at that moment reminded him of the first time Erit had commissioned Rarity to make Nightline a sweater.

"That's it!" He thought to himself.

With a new jolt of confidence, he opened the door and entered the bedroom. Rarity was laying face-down on her bed, sobbing into her pillow, and didn't even bother to look when Nightline made his presence known.

"You know," he said, "all of this reminds me of when I was just a foal, when my dad first brought me here so you could make me a sweater." His horn then began to glow. "I was such a little thing. Even on the warmest summer nights, I had to use two blankets to stay warm. And in the winter, forget it. I was shivering through every night. So finally, my dad tells me he's gonna get me a present to make my life better; I had no idea what he was talking about, but I didn't argue and went with him into town."

As Nightline's magic began to do its work on Rarity, she stopped crying and sat up in the bed, just listening to him tell the story.

"He led me straight here, where I had just about the strangest three hours of my life. You put every warm clothing item on me that you had, ranging across the entire color spectrum. But comfortable as they all were, you weren't satisfied with any of the colors you put on me. Not until you'd nearly given up hope of succeeding, when you tried to rage-quit and threw a grey hoody on me. And wouldn't you know it, that hoody ended up being exactly what you chose. I still remember the look of shock on your face, and I'll never forget your words: 'Wow. I guess grey really is your color.' Rarity, that hoody changed my life; I was able to do so much more every day, since I didn't have to worry about freezing. And even after I grew up and put some meat on my bones, I didn't stop wearing it. It was too precious to me. Rarity, you are the only Pony in all of Equestria who can change lives like that with a single item of clothing. And if you can do that, then I'm sure you can make me look good for the Princesses," Nightline finished.

At first, Rarity said nothing. She simply stared at Nightline in amazement. But after little over a minute, she whipped her tears away and smiled, saying, "thank you, Nightline. That was exactly what I needed to hear."

With a nod, Nightline replied, "always. Now, what do you say we go back out there and make me the handsomest colt in all of Equestria? I'll need to be to meet the princesses."

"I say, let's do it."

With that, the two walked together back out to the main work area. Sweetly Belle was no longer in the room, Nightline guessed because she got bored and left or had some other business to attend to. Without putting much thought to the matter, he moved back into place on a pedestal, where Rarity could see him clearly. And no sooner than he was in place did she begin walking circles around him, analyzing him as he was. When she had stormed off, she had left Nightline in only an undersigned fabric outline of a vest, completely grey. After a few minutes, it seemed Rarity had an idea.

Her eyes narrowed, just before her magical aura again began its work, swirling various tools and fabric around him. As this happened, the vest began to transform. It went from undesigned to very detailed, mimicking the look of a vest from a grey three-piece suit. Following the vest came four grey cuffs for his four ankles, but she didn't stop there. From that point, Nightline felt two brushes working his mane and tail, completely re-styling them both. Following the brushing came a Fedora Hat, and sunglasses. The entire process took just under a half hour to complete, but when it was done, Rarity instructed Nightline to check himself out in the mirror, and so he did.

"Handsomest colt in Equestria? I think you definitely stand a chance of winning that contest now," Rarity complemented, "It's as true now as it was ten years ago: grey really is your color

Nightline was less impressed by the outfit, however he was happy with how jovial it made her.

"Thank you, Rarity. How much do I owe you?" he asked, hoping he had enough bits left over to pay.

"Nothing at all," she replied, "consider this a favor. Just be sure to credit me when they ask about it."

"I definitely will," he assured her, picking my sweater up off the ground.

"So, how long until you leave?" Rarity asked.

"I leave at dusk tonight," he replied, gathering up the items he purchased from the market earlier that day.

"Umm, Nightline?"

"Yeah?"

"Look."

With little urgency, the young Colt glanced over at his stylist to see that her eyes were locked on the front window. By the look on her face, he could tell something was amiss, and so he followed her gaze to the glass panel on the front of the building, only to have his own jaw drop. It was dark out, and the stars were already shining brightly.

"Oh sweet Celestia," Nightline said quietly, before quickly beginning to change back into his sweater and placing his new outfit inside the bags he had brought from home.

"Oh my, I'm terribly sorry, darling. I didn't know I'd been holding you up for so long. You won't be in trouble, will you?" Rarity asked, turning to face him only to find that he was gone, and her front door was swinging around, wide open.

"Where'd he go?"

Little did she know that her favored customer was already galloping through town on his way back to his house. He ran faster than he'd ever run before, fueled by the fear that his waiting transportation would leave him behind. Within minutes, his house was in view. And moving in the opposite direction of himself and his house was a nice looking carriage, drawn by two Stallions. In a panic, Nightline rushed into his home, throwing his ink and new outfit into the mostly packed burlap bags by his bed. Without allowing any more time to pass, he gathered his items and rushed out the front door, running after the carriage as fast as he could.

"Nightline, wait!" He heard his mother call out from behind him.

"Can't wait!" He called in reply, "I'll talk to you when I get back!"

Though he heard her muffled voice in the increasing distance, Nightline didn't listen. He was too focused on catching his passage to Canterlot before it was too late. Much to his joy, Nightline could tell he was catching up, however slowly. However, in his need to catch the carriage, the young colt didn't notice that it was traveling in the wrong direction. Canterlot was only getting farther away. When the carriage was finally within earshot, Nightline knew he had to get their attention, because he couldn't run much longer.

"Hey!" He shouted, "wait up!"

But his voice went unheard. With his fatigue growing, Nightline was forced to slow his pace, and it slowed to a point where all the ground he had previously gained was being lost to the carriage. He needed to make them hear him, but how? How could he do that when they were only getting farther away? It was at that moment that he remembered something from the first day he read his story in Ponyville:

"Well, I noticed that while you were telling the story, your horn was glowing. But I've never read about any spell that does anything like what you just did," Twilight explained, "so, what exactly did you do?"

Nightline let an awkward smile crawl up his cheeks, "Honestly, I'm not sure. It just happens when I speak from my heart. The Magic links itself to my voice, and then when people listen, that's what happens."

"And it only works for telling stories?"

"What?" He asked in reply, drawing all eyes.

"Your spell. Does it only work when you tell stories, or does it work on your voice in general?" She specified.

Nightline thought for nearly a full minute in silence. He hadn't ever tried to use his magic for anything other than a story.

"I've never tried it on anything else," he replied, "what else could I use it for?"

"Maybe a poem," Twilight offered

"Oh, that sounds lovely. A nice sonnet, perhaps," agreed Rarity.

"You could give yodlin' a go," Applejack said, giving a much less inviting option.

"Maybe you could try talking, or maybe, if you don't mind, singing a lullaby?" Fluttershy quietly said, obviously referring to it being for her many pets.

"Oooooh, maybe you could make your voice really really loud," Pinkie offered and began bouncing around with glee, "like using a bullhorn, but not a bullhorn so you sound like a bullhorn but it's actually just you being really really loud."

"Really loud," Nightline said to himself, "I guess it's now or never to find out."

With that decision made, the young colt began to focus. He quickly activated his magic, mimicking the feeling of when he told stories; a feeling he had become more or less well acquainted with. When he was ready, he took in a deep breath and began calling out.

"Stop!" He shouted, but no louder than usual. "Stop!" He tried again, but to the same result. However, with increased effort and focus, his third attempt yielded different results, "STOP!"

Nightline's voice carries from his lips and seemingly in every direction like a wave. Upon hearing it's booming volume, the Stallions dragging were startled and wanted to do nothing less than flee. However, as Nightline's magic worked its effects, his voice carried itself into their hearts, and compelled them to feel his own need for them to stop moving, and so they did. It only took a few minutes for him to catch them after that, but when he did, he was met with a troublesome sight. The carriage being drawn by two Earth Ponies was not one of Canterlot's style, but more like a big city carriage such as Manehatten.

"C-can we help you?" One of the Stallion's sputtered out.

"Wait, aren't you the carriage sent for me from-"

"Why are we stopping?" A female voice shouted in a heavy british accent, "you know how dangerous this place is, and we need to get back to Manehatten."

Upon hearing those words, Nightline realized his folly. He had mistaken that carriage for his, and chased it off into Celestia knows where.

"Sorry kid, we gotta keep moving," the second Stallion stated, and prepared to continue.

"Wait! Can you tell me the fastest way to Canterlot from here?" He asked, hopeful that he was at least not out of walking distance.

"Uh, yeah, just follow this road in the other direction. It's about a three day's walk from here. But take my advice, don't stick around this area for long."

"Why?"

"Because we're really close to the Everfree Forest."

With those words spoken, the two Stallions made their exit in a very hasty manner, leaving Nightline alone in the dark, frozen in fear. With a quivering neck, the colt slowly turned to gaze at his surroundings: other than the road, there was nothing but forestry.

"How could this have happened?" Nightline asked himself, "if that wasn't my ride, then where was it? Had it left already?"

Seeking answers, he removed from his burlap bag the second scroll sent to him from Canterlot, which had the details of his transportation. He wasted no time in opening it and skimming over its words, quietly reading to himself.

"We here in Canterlot are well equipped and prepared to send a PEGASUS-DRAWN CHARIOT?!" He exclaimed.

At that same moment back in Ponyville, two pure-white Pegasi draped in Golden Armor were standing awkwardly, still hooked up to a royal chariot and wondering where their passenger had vanished to. And where else would he be at that time than banging his head against a tree bordering the Everfree Forest.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid," he told himself on repeat.

After the sixteenth smack of his skull on the tree and repeat of his insulting mantra, Nightline froze. He was struck motionless by the sound of a growling to his left, beyond the forest thicket. Fearfully, he turned his head to inspect, but it was too dark to see anything. That is,until two glowing yelloweyes revealed themselves to him. Nightline immediately knew what was hiding in the dark: a Timber Wolf. In a panic, the young Colt took off in the opposite direction, and did so just before the Timber Wolf pounced from the forest in an attack. As he felt the teeth of the monster snap behind him, barely missing his tail, Nightline's speed increased tremendously; he was gone in a puff of smoke.

 **Here we are at the end of the fourth chapter. Hope you all enjoyed! Expect the next chapter within a fortnight. Leave me a review!**


	5. The Offer

**Only one review so far, and to it, I say thank you for the compliment! I'm glad the story is pleasing thus far.**

Chapter 5

The next day in Canterlot, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna paced through the Castle's main entrance room nervously. Their tight nerves were due to the fact that the Chariot and Pegasi sent to retrieve Nightline Wordsmith had returned without the Unicorn. Their only information as to his whereabouts was from his parents, who informed the Pegasi that he had gone sprinting out of town, chasing down a Carriage from Manehatten.

"It was such a simple task," Luna mumbled, "how could we have lost him? Where could he have gone?"

"Calm yourself, sister," Celestia replied, "we should wait just a little longer-"

"Longer?" Luna interrupted, "He was meant to be our guest and he's vanished. Nobody has seen him since last night, and if he was on a path to Manehatten, he would've been taken straight past the Everfree Forest. He could be in grave danger or worse!" She explained urgently.

After a little while of contemplating her sister's words, Celestia finally spoke, "You're right. We'll send out a search party right away and-"

The elder princess stopped speaking, however, as a sound caught her ear. It was faint, but growing in a crescendo; the sound of a terrified screaming pony. Within seconds, it went from faint to ear-piercing followed by a blue and white blur dashing into the castle and past the princesses, trailing an air current which pulled their manes with it. The blur came to a stop by the far wall of the room, standing on its hind legs with its back against the wall and front legs spread out across it, his chest heaving with huge gasps of air. The Princesses soon identified it to be Nightline Wordsmith himself; the Pony they had been waiting for. His mane and tail were ruffled and disastrous, and his sweater was in tatters.

"Wordsmith," Luna said, relieved.

Only moments after his bursting through the front door, a stampede of eleven guards followed, tripping over themselves in an attempt to keep up with the seeming intruder.

"Princesses, stand back...there's an...intruder," the leading guard huffed out, completely out of breath.

"It's alright, Armor Knight. He's not an intruder; he's a guest," Celestia explained.

With something of an exasperated sigh, the guards all exited the room to return to their posts, many of them still attempting to recover. When they were gone, the two sisters returned their attention to young Wordsmith, who hadn't moved an inch in the entire transaction. In fact, he was still pressed up against the wall with his face frozen in an expression of terror. Celestia was the first to approach, followed by Luna.

"Nightline, we're glad to see you're alright," Celestia said.

He remained completely silent; he showed no indication that he even registered her words.

"Wordsmith?" Luna asked, moving her hoof forward to poke his chest.

The moment her hoof made contact, Nightline's entire body tensed up. A visual chill seemed to travel it's way from his back hooves up to his head, before a single terrified scream was released, followed quickly by the frightened Colt shooting like a ball from a cannon straight upward into the air. His reaction left the two Princesses quite confused, but also amused. When Nightline was finally able to gather himself, the Princesses had one of the workers in the castle escort him to his room, where he could get cleaned up before having Brunch with his Alicorn hosts. It took him only a few minutes to wash up, although his mane and tail refused to go back to their normal shape. The bulk of his time cleaning up was spent patching up his sweater, which had suffered some damage in his flee from Everfree. But when it was done, Nightline decided to inspect his bedroom.

The bedroom itself was extremely nice; larger than his living room back in Ponyville. The bed he assumed was his was large enough to fit a full-size Alicorn comfortably, let alone a mid-size unicorn like himself. The room had a single window, with a nice view of the different features of Canterlot, and the dresser left for him was much larger than he had things at home to fill. However, he did use it to store what items he had brought. When he was fully unpacked, he decided to change into the outfit Rarity had made him before going to officially meet Luna and Celestia; he wanted to be presentable after his rather unorthodox entrance less than an hour prior. When he was ready, the same worker from before showed him the way to the dining room.

"Nightline," Celestia opened, moving to greet him but having to stop to register his outfit, "it's nice to see you're back in good order."

"Thank you, Princess," Nightline replied, bowing respectfully, "I'm sorry for arriving so late, and in the manor I did."

"Not at all," she said, "we're sure you had good reason, and we'd love to hear that reason over Brunch."

Nightline stood from his bowed position and smiled, glad to know his chances of success in his current predicament were still high. The next to approach him was Princess Luna, and the sight of her struck the young Colt stiff as wood. There before him was the Princess of the Moon, whose life story was the very reason he discovered his Cutie Mark. She alone was responsible for it, and now, less than a year since that milestone event in his life, she was standing before him.

"Princess Luna," he said, bowing to her, "it's an honor to finally meet you."

"And a pleasure," She replied, bowing in return.

"About my being late," he said, beginning to stand.

Nightline stopped, however, when his hat fell off of his oddly styled hair. For a few moments, he awkwardly fumbled with it, until he managed to get it back on his head, however crooked. At this sight, both Princesses giggled. This was followed by Celestia casting a spell on Nightline which changed his clothing back to his sweater, which still looked rather beaten up, and changed his mane and tail to an almost normal hairdo. It wasn't his normal one, but it was comfortable enough so he let it be.

"You needn't dress so formally, young Wordsmith," Luna said.

"You're our guest, and guests are meant to be comfortable, not stylish," Celestia added, smiling.

"Thank you," Nightline replied.

With no further words, the three of them all sat at the table and were quickly served platters of various sandwiches, and kettles full of tea. After only a few bites, the silence was broken by a curious Princess Luna.

"So," she inquired, "what did happen to delay you for so long?"

"A stylist, stupidity, and Timber Wolves."

With a chuckle, Celestia replied, "I think we may need a little more than that."

Nightline laughed and said, "I figured you might. You see, yesterday morning-"

"Wait," Luna interrupted, "tell in the style with which you tell stories to other ponies. Demonstrate your magic."

"Good idea, sister. That is the reason you are here, of course," Celestia agreed.

"Oh, um...alright. Well," Nightline began, and his horn's glow followed suit, "Yesterday morning, I began packing for the trip here…"

The young colt continued on, telling every detail of the previous day. From his trip to the market leading into the partial kidnapping which led to the overly formal outfit which the Princesses has previously seen. They both seemed surprised when Nightline told them of the slump Rarity had fallen into, and what he had done to get her out of it. After that, he told them of the confusion which led to his chasing of the Carriage from Manehatten. And once again, Celestia and Luna both seemed to come to attention when he mentioned how he used his magic to influence the Stallions to stop.

"That's when I figured out that I was chasing the wrong ride. It was far too late by then, though. Only a few minutes later, I heard a growling beyond the line of the trees. And within moments, the Timber Wolf attacked!" Nightline shouted.

He could tell that the story and his magic were having their usual effect on the Princesses; they both looked as terrified as he was when the Wolf attempted to make him a midnight snack. In fact, Nightline was fairly sure there were a couple staff hooves outside the dining room doors, because he heard two voices gasp in fear.

"In my fear, I could do nothing but run the other way. So that's what I did: I ran. I ran faster than I'd ever run before, and within a few hours, found myself charging through the castle's front gates. There were a few guards there who tried to stop me, but I don't think the Wonder Bolts could've caught me at that point. They must've chased me three times around the castle before I finally found the front door," he finished.

When his magic ceased to work, both Princesses had to take a few moments to gather themselves back in reality. When they had done so, the two exchanged a glance.

"When we saw you do that in Ponyville, we knew your magic was powerful, but I…" Celestia trailed off.

"We never imagined you would be capable of something like that," Luna finished her sister's thought.

"I hope that's a good thing," Nightline said nervously, biting into another sandwich.

"That remains to be discovered," Celestia admitted, causing the colt to choke for a few moments.

"What?" He asked.

"Wordsmith, we must be honest with you," Luna said, "your magic is unique. So unique in fact that it doesn't exist in any known spell. Not in the magical archives here, nor in any sector of Equestria."

No way, Nightline thought. Surely the Princesses could do the same as him.

"But, you two are Alicorns. You must have some similar spell."

Celestia smiled, "True, we are Alicorns and our magic is powerful, but have nothing in our knowledge like you possess, which is part, of not the majority of the reason we invited you here. Come," she instructed, standing from her seated position and leading the way out of the dining hall.

Luna followed alongside her sister, while Nightline hesitated at first before following behind. He soon caught up and walked beside the Moon Princess, who he felt more comfortable beside than the Sun. After exiting the Dining Hall, Celestia led them down a hallway deeper into the castle.

"Nightline, your magic is unknown to us, and so we've called you here in hopes of finding a way to study it. You can do more than tell a good story; you are able to influence the thoughts and emotions of those who are close enough to hear your voice," Celestia explained, "and based on what you told us about your experience with the mistaken Carriage, you can also influence their actions and possibly even their free will. And that has the potential to be just as bad as it sounds."

Nightline grew nervous again.

"Or better than any could imagine," Luna added.

"Better?" He asked.

With a smile, Celestia replied, "Equestria is a diverse and joyous place, but not all the time. Pony folk do have their down days, and I am especially aware of how angry Equestrian Dignitaries can get when debating politics. But a voice such as yours could lighten a rainy day, and turn any argument into a solution."

Nightline thought in silence about the words of Princess Celestia for a good amount of time. In that time, the three Ponies traversed the many silent halls of Castle Canterlot which eventually led them to the Throne Room, which was basically a large glorified hallway with stained glass windows and three thrones at the end; a detail which caught the Colt's eyes.

"Three?" He asked, staring at the thrones intently.

"Yes. The third belongs to Cadance, the Princess of Love. She is almost always away on business, so you may not meet her for a while, assuming you accept the position we offer," Luna explained.

"About that," Nightline said, stopping to face the two Princesses, "I'm still not sure what exactly it is you want me to do. Calm Equestrian Dignitaries, cheer people up? So what, am I gonna be an ambassador?"

"Of sorts. If you accept, you will have many duties, both in Canterlot and abroad in the far cities of Equestria. Among these duties, you will be tasked with using your magic to maintain peace wherever you are. Likewise, we would prefer if you be there for any political negotiations for which you are available, whether they be here or elsewhere. We also will be studying your magic, and thusly will require you to have material with which to use it. And of course, as a member of our personal staff, you will be generously compensated," Celestia explained.

Nightline was excited; the jobs they were listing didn't seem so hard, and for the kind of pay the Sun Princess was inferring, it would be well worth it.

"But there is a cost," Luna stated.

"A cost?"

"Yes. Firstly, you would be required to move your permanent residence to here in the castle. Though you will spend time elsewhere, your main living space will be in Canterlot," said Celestia.

 _Leave my family? Leave Ponyville?_ Nightline was obviously conflicted.

"Secondly?" He asked.

"Secondly," Luna continued, "there is a danger to your job. Working as royalty makes you a target for any criminals, few as they are in numbers. And seeing as you will be doing a good amount of traveling, this does put you at risk."

 _Great, so it's not a particularly safe job,_ he thought.

"Is there a thirdly?"

"More like a lastly, young Wordsmith," Luna replied, giggling.

"As we already stated, your magic has the potential to influence free will and actions. And say you were to use that on one of the Alicorn Princesses for less than noble purposes; what then?" Celestia explained.

"But, Princess, I wouldn't-"

"We're not saying you would. And all we ask for you to do to earn our trust is to take an oath," she interrupted.

The room fell silent again. Both Princesses looked fairly calm, except for Luna. Though her demeanor was the same as her sisters, it seemed there was a twinge of concern in her eyes. Unlike them, the young Unicorn had a face painted with confliction.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna," Nightline said, breaking the silence, "this is such an offer; not a single pony in a lifetime gets this chance, and I'm so honored that you've given it to me, but...I'm just not sure," he trailed off, lowering his eyes.

"It's alright, Nightline," Celestia said, "you don't have to decide right away. Take the few days you're here to make up your mind. Explore the castle and the town-"

"Town?" Night asked, accidentally interrupting the Princess.

"Yes, the town of Canterlot. There's more than just a castle here; come, we'll show you," Luna commanded, leading Nightline and her sister to a neighboring room and to a balcony in that room which overlooked exactly what the Princesses had described: a town. "All of the secondary staff house there. Maids, housekeepers, kitchen hooves, most of the guards, and even our secretaries. The castle is mainly used for formalities and political affairs, and upon occasion, parties and gatherings. The only ones who call it home are my sister and I, along with the primary staff such as the head Chef, Chief Secretary, our personal guards and the captains of the castle guards, and if the job is accepted, you."

While following Luna's explanation, Nightline looked out at the town. It was very beautifully built, and seemed a fancy place. Anyone he saw roaming the streets, though at a distance, he could tell was dressed at least semi-formally.

"So, only workers in the castle live there?"

With a smile, Luna closed the distance between them so that she was standing beside the shorter colt, looking out at the bustling town. "Not only. I take it the idea of living amongst only your working colleagues isn't the most inviting thing in Equestria, but set your worries aside. The majority of that town is full of ponies just like back in Ponyville; all working to find their purpose in life. Though you may find the majority of them live a slightly more...sophisticated lifestyle."

"Sophisticated?"

Luna laughed, "well, some might prefer the word 'uptight.'"

The two shared a laugh at Luna's statement, before continuing to chat. They shared simple small talk about the town and life in Canterlot, while Celestia remained in the entryway to the balcony, watching and listening. Within the Sun Princess were many mixed feelings; never before had there been a guest in the castle who had abandoned her completely to socialize with any of the other Princesses. It was a strange feeling for her to be the one hanging back while her sister took over as the favorite. At the same time, she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. Celestia, more than jealous, was happy for her sister. For a thousand years, Luna was imprisoned because of the jealousy which spawned from the fact that she couldn't earn the same kind of love from her subjects as her sister did. And now, finally, after earning her freedom, the Moon Princess was taking an enormous step forward, and this filled Celestia with joy.

After only a few short minutes more, the elder Alicorn felt a familiar fatigue overcome her, which was soon followed by a yawn. Knowing it was soon time to change day into night, she approached her sister and their guest. "I hate to break up this conversation, but it's time, Luna."

With a knowing gaze and a nod, Luna looked at Nightline once again and said, "the day is over."

He was slightly confused at her remark, but soon understood as the two Princesses' horns began to glow, followed quickly by the daylight fading swiftly until the only light illuminating Equestria was that of the moon. Though it seemed so normal, seeing the day turned to night first hoof was a sight to behold; one which left the young Wordsmith awestruck. Soon, however, he began to feel the same fatigue as Celestia, and let out a large yawn.

"If you're tired, you may return to your quarters until tomorrow," said Celestia, "I think I will retire for the night myself. Good luck, Sister."

"And goodnight," Luna replied.

As Celestia left the balcony, Nightline looked at Luna in confusion, "Wait, aren't you going to sleep?"

"Well, yes. Just not for another few hours."

"Why not?"

"Well, as the Princess of the Moon, it is my job to safeguard the night. Thusly, I must remain awake during its time, while I monitor the dream world," she explained.

"Oh," he replied, "so when do you sleep?"

"Well, normally I sleep for a portion of the day. I must go, now. Ponies across the land are beginning to dream, and so my work begins. I'll see you when you wake," Luna said, before taking off into the air and flying out towards the town. Moments later, she vanished in a flash of magic.

With nothing left to do, Nightline left the balcony and made his way back to his temporary bedroom, where he found comfort beneath blankets and swiftly fell asleep.

 **Alright, here lies Chapter 5! Next chapter might be a couple weeks away. I do have a question for my readers, though: just today, I went and saw the MLP movie. One of the songs, "Open Up Your Eyes" by Tempest Shadow, really caught my attention. For something I have planned in the future of this story, it speaks the exact perfect message, but it seems like it's be weird and probably wrong to use a song that already exists. So I leave it to the judgement of my readers to decide if I should. Either review your answer or PM it to me. Keep in mind also that if the majority rules neigh, I'll be writing my own lyrics for a song for this thing I have planned and it may be more difficult for myself, the writer, and the readers alike.**


	6. Castle Canterlot

Next **chapter is here! No new reviews come on, people! There's five chapters, leave me some feedback!**

Chapter 6

Nightline woke the next morning not long after the sun rose. With a yawn, he stumbled out of bed and over to the mirror, where he straightened himself out before exiting the bedroom. He stopped abruptly in the hallway, however, as the same worker from the previous day was standing and waiting outside his door.

"Uh...hi?" He said, confused.

"The Princesses wait for you in the dining hall. If you're ready, I will escort you there for breakfast," the worker replied.

"O...kay."

With no further words, the Unicorn was led from his room to the aforementioned location, where both Princesses were patiently waiting for him to arrive. Nightline took note that there was already food sitting out (pancakes and toast), waiting to be devoured. Princess Celestia looked the same way she had the previous day, but Princess Luna looked rather exhausted and beaten down. Neither were eating their food.

Both smiled and greeted him as he entered, which he returned before sitting down. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting for long."

"Not at all. The food arrived only a few minutes ago," Celestia replied.

"It smells heavenly," said Nightline, sampling the aroma in the air.

Celestia smiled, "I should hope so. We've only the best chefs here in the castle. Please, help yourself."

Without hesitating, Nightline began to eat. After only a few bites, he turned his attention to Luna, who until that moment had been rather stoik. "So, Princess Luna," he said, "were there any interesting dreams last night?"

She yawned. "None to speak of, really."

"So we had about the same night in terms of dreams, then," he replied jokingly.

Though the Princess smiled at his humor, she gave no response. Instead, she silently finished her food. "I think I'll retire for the morn."

That said, she stood and groggily walked out of the dining hall. Nightline could tell she was quite tired after a long night of work.

"Sleep well," he said. There was no reply.

"Luna will sleep until about mid-day, before waking. I apologize, but I will have to leave you without company for the majority of the day. A dignitary from Manehatten will be arriving any time now. Apparently, on her journey home from a political affair, a Unicorn with the ability to instill her guards with fear stopped them in front of the Everfree Forest, before vanishing into the night," Celestia explained, "no doubt we know who this Unicorn is."

Nightline blushed, remembering the carriage he had chased down just the other night. "I suppose we do," he replied, chuckling. "Don't worry about me, Princess. I should find plenty of entertainment here and in the town."

"Thank you for understanding," she said, finishing her food, "feel free to explore the castle. No part of it is off limits, with the exception of the bedrooms. Don't go wandering into someone else's room, and all should be fine."

With smiling faces, the two said their farewells, and Celestia made her exit. Nightline sat in the dining hall for only a few minutes afterwards while finishing his food before exiting himself. He didn't have any idea where he wanted to go, so he simply let his hooves carry him. The young Unicorn traversed the many empty halls of the castle for hours, it seemed, though it wasn't nearly that long. Soon enough, he found himself browsing through the many different sections of the castle's library, though he never stopped to read anything. The library was far more extensive than the one back in Ponyville. It took him a good while to walk through its many isles, but after he was finished, his hooves led him back through the empty halls and to the living area towards his bedroom.

The hallway in this section of the castle was long, and littered with many doors which were generously spaced apart. Stopping at the entrance of the hall, Nightline glanced in either direction. Both ways, left and right, extended almost completely out of sight. And of course, his room was near the end of the hallway to the right, and so he began the long walk. Halfway there, Nightline was stopped in his tracks. He was struck stiff by the silence in the hall breaking. The sound which broke that seemingly unbreakable silence came from far down the hallway in the other direction. The colt could hear that it seemed to be the soft whimpering of a female voice, which he recognized but couldn't place. That is, until the whimpering turned to crying out, and the voice was easily identified.

"Luna!" he exclaimed, before bolting in the direction of her voice. His mind was racing with thoughts of what could be causing her such terror. It must be an intruder, he thought. With that conclusion in mind, Nightline knew he needed to stop the assailant in its tracks, so that it could be prevented from hurting his Princess and captured. The only way he thought he could do that was with his magic, and so when he had her door in sight, he allowed his horn to begin its powerful glow.

The moment her bedroom door burst open, Princess Luna sat up in her bed and yelped. Her forehead was dotted with beads of sweat, and she was breathing hard. Her eyes showed only fear, as Nightline stood in the doorway, horn glowing and a fury in his eyes as he scanned the room.

"Princess, I heard you scream. What happened?" he asked when he saw no one else in the room.

"Just an unpleasant dream, Wordsmith. I'm fine," she replied, calming herself.

"Are you going to be alright?"

She smiled, "I will. Go, enjoy your leasure time. Allow me to get what sleep I can."

With a nod and a bow, Nightline turned and began exiting. He lingered in the doorway, however as an inner conflict overtook him. Similar to when he helped Rarity, he felt that he could and should do something to help Princess Luna. It took only a moment for him to decide on doing so.

"No," he stated plainly, turning and approaching the weary princess.

"What?" she asked, confused by his refusal.

"You had a nightmare. It's normal, but the difference is that when others have nightmares, you're there to comfort them in their sleep. You don't have that luxury, but today, I'll give it to you."

"How so?"

"Just lay down, and try to sleep. I'll take care of the rest," he replied.

After a few moments of contemplation, Luna gave Nightline a trusting nod and layed down before closing her eyes. He waited only a few moments for her to relax before he set his plan in motion, and his horn began to glow.

"You know, when I was young, I used to have nightmares quite often. But every time I did, my mother would come to my bedside and sing me a lullaby. I'll follow her example now, and sing one for you…"

 _Now lay, now lay yourself down this night,_

 _And know, you're never alone._

 _Though life may show you an endless plight,_

 _Be stilled by my each silky tone._

 _Be raised by my voice,_

 _Be calmed by my words_

 _Be lulled by my sweet Lullaby._

 _And if you should be_

 _On your own tonight,_

 _I'll make your company mine._

 _Now lay, now lay yourself down this night,_

 _And know, you're never alone._

 _Though life may show you an endless plight,_

 _Be stilled by my each silky tone._

By the time his Lullaby was finished, Luna was fast asleep. As she softly breathed, a small smile was pasted on her face. _Guess Fluttershy was right,_ he thought, _it works for lullabies as well._ For the next hour, Nightline sat beside the moon princess, watching over her as she slept. Every once in awhile, she would begin to stir and look as if another Nightmare was plaguing her dreams. In response, he would repeat his song to calm her. When the time finally came for the Princess to awaken, she did so with a smile. After waking, she stretched the sleep from her body and stood, facing Nightline.

"Thank you," she said formally, "it's been many months since I've been able to sleep with peace."

"It's all you are owed for your service to Equestria," he replied, turning and motioning for them to walk out of the room together.

Luna was glad to find a place beside the young Wordsmith, as they left the room and traversed the halls with no particular destination in mind, all the while sharing small talk.

"I never thanked you for what you did that night," Luna interjected in a silent moment, changing the nature of their conversation.

This caught Nightline by surprise, and in truth he was unsure of what night she was referring to. Luckily, his confusion would soon be erased.

"My sister and I have lived for thousands of years. In that time, she was always the loved one, while I was left as a side note keeping watch over the night. Nopony ever looked up at my night sky and thought of beauty, or peace. Instead, they chose to ignore every aspect of night until morning, when the day returned. To this day, I don't understand how a character like Nightmare Moon could've been born from my inner jealousy-"

"Pain," Nightline interrupted.

"What?"

"Not jealousy. You were in pain because you were alone," he insisted.

She smiled, "Well, whatever the case, it still puzzles me that something of the sort could happen, and since being freed from her hold, I haven't gone a day without the shame. In truth, that first day I returned to Canterlot and was granted my Alicorn duties again, I wished to relinquish them. To cast aside my royal life. My shame was unbearable, and yet greater still was the pain of knowing that even after my return, all the ponies of Equestria would only know me as Nightmare Moon. But then, your voice carried itself across the miles to my ears. In it, I found relief for my pain, and company for my loneliness. And I have yet to offer you any thanks for that."

The young Unicorn was quick to reply, his voice stern and confident, "You don't need to. Princess, when the Summer Sun Celebration turned to eternal night, I ran to the library wanting to aid in saving Celestia, but what I found there was a story which was more than a story. It was a mirror of my own life."

Luna was taken aback by his words. She stared at him in confused awe, inquiring to him, "your life?"

He nodded.

"I was never any good at anything as a foal. And a pony without a special talent is hardly considered a pony at all, these days. I was twice the age of even the oldest children just earning their Cutie Marks, and so not only could I not find friendship in my own age group, but in any age group. I spend my years alone, overshadowed by everyone else who were discovering their places in the world. Just like you, I was alone. And try as I might, I couldn't believe that it was malevolence which spawned Nightmare Moon; it was the same grief I knew all too well. So I did what I could to give you what you deserved: recognition and love. In truth, you deserve more than just me."

This time, Luna was the one to chime in with a serious tone, "No, Nightline. Never put it in your mind that you aren't enough. You have done far more than I deserve for my crimes."

"On the contrary," he interrupted, "you are the one with a false image of yourself. But, if you must believe you deserve less than you have because of what Nightmare Moon did, then know that instead of punishing yourself, you should work to make it right. But believe me when I say that you not only deserve everything I do, but you deserve as much praise as Princess Celestia."

After a few seconds of silence, Luna thanked Nightline for his kind words. As the day was nearing its end, she decided to lead the young colt to the dining hall, where her sister would be arriving soon if not waiting for them already. She was quite happy to walk with him, as well, as he was the closest she'd had to a friend in longer than many could comprehend. Upon entering the dining hall, the two were greeted by Celestia, who was waiting for dinner and the two of them.

"Evening, Princess," Nightline said casually, sitting in his usual location, followed by Luna who sat in hers.

"Good evening. I hope your day wasn't too boring," she replied.

"Actually, it wasn't. I spend most of it with Princess Luna, and also discovered that my magic also works for singing."

"Well, I'm glad you were entertained."

"The meeting was a bore, I take it?" Luna asked in more of a statement than a question.

"Like you wouldn't believe. She spent hours telling me all about the things I already knew had happened, and demanding that I accept that there is a danger in Equestria. It took me an hour more to convince her that there was no danger, just confusion," Celestia explained.

"Dignitaries seem to enjoy believing they're always right," Luna added.

As their conversation continued, Nightline couldn't help but smile. Here he was, sitting before the two most powerful Ponies in all of Equestria. Two who had the image of sophistication and royalty, and yet they were speaking to each other about the day's events the same way two normal ponies would. He soon realized that though they put on a mature and collected face for the public, behind the scenes, they were just like everypony else. After a few more minutes of casual conversation, the tone changed to one more serious again.

"So, have you come to a decision yet, Nightline?" Celestia asked.

Nightline swallowed the bite in his mouth and looked down at his plate, "Not yet."

"Don't worry," said Luna, "you still have some time to think it over. We understand the kind of dilemma you have about this."

"Thank you, Princess. I think I'll visit the town tomorrow, to see what my neighbors would be like if I accept."

"I think that's a good idea," Celestia replied, seconded by her sister.

After that, the three finished their dinner in silence. When they were finished, Nightline said his good nights and retired to his room, while the Princesses changed day into night. After lying down, he was fast asleep, and he slept without dreams.

 **Next Chapter will be a couple weeks from now. Leave me a review!**


	7. The Return

**And I'm back! No new reviews to attend to, so read on!**

Chapter 7

The house of Erit Guption was wrought with anxiety. Aria Stargazer, Nightline's mother, spent hours pacing in their living room, unable to fathom what may be happening to her foal in Canterlot. Erit was equally stressed, wondering is his son would be able to handle this enormous leap into the life of a grown stallion. Though the previous day, they had received word though Twilight Sparkle that Nightline was safe in Canterlot, they found little comfort. Their son had earned his Cutie Mark only a few months prior, and yet he was already in a far off land meeting royalty and being offered a position under their employment. It was difficult for them to come to terms with what was happening, so they rarely exchanged any words about it.

At the same time, a lightly tinted Pegasus also spent her days wondering why was becoming of her friend in Canterlot. Iris often approached Spike, the assistant of Twilight Sparkle, in hopes of hearing news from him. She had done so thrice since he'd departed, and it had only been a day. Still, he didn't write. The only news came the morning after he left, when Word was sent to his parents announcing his arrival in Canterlot. For all in Ponyville awaiting his return, the few days of his absence were long and grueling.

For Nightline, however, the days short. And though the days were short, his time in Canterlot as a whole seemed long. It felt as though he'd been gone for weeks, and yet each day began and ended in little over a half hour, it seemed. The phenomenon was strange to say the least, for the young Wordsmith. On the third morning, he woke as the sun was rising. It's golden rays shined through the window in his room, turning dark into light in a beautiful way and at the same time glaring into his closed eyes in a rather unpleasant manner. With squinting eyes, he stood from the bed and yawned, stretching the sleep from his body. After he straightened out his mane and hoody in the mirror, he exited the room. Strangely, there was no worker outside his door to lead him to breakfast this time. Luckily, he had memorized that path already and was able to lead himself.

When Nightline entered the dining hall, he was met by the sight of the Princesses facing away from him, not even seated. They were conversing amongst themselves, waiting for breakfast to arrive. "Good morning, Princesses," he greeted, grabbing their attention.

"Good morning, Nightline," Luna replied, turning to face him. She looked better than his previous morning, though still run down.

"Good morning. You're up earlier than usual," said Celestia, also turning.

"Well, a certain light in the sky decided to come greet my eyes. It told me I should wake up," Nightline replied, winking at Celestia who laughed at his remark.

Before any more words were exchanged, all three sat in their usual places. When they were there, Celestia was the first to speak, inquiring to Nightline, "So, you'll be going into town today?"

"I will. If nothing else, to explore. And suggestions as to where I should go?"

"Well, most of our guests tell us good things about Pony Joe's Donut Shop. We can never really go into town ourselves. It creates a fuss," Luna replied.

"How do you mean?" The colt asked without thought.

Both Princesses stared at him blankly. Confused, Nightline began to think. His puzzled expression amused the two, causing them to grin when he realized what they meant.

When he figured out the answer to his own question, he stated simply, "oh, right."

All three shared a brief laugh which came to a close when a few workers brought out three plates of food. It was pancakes and toast again, though Nightline didn't complain as it was a treat he got little of at home and to top it off, the food was masterfully created. The three didn't hesitate to begin eating. They ate in relative silence, until the food was no more. When the last bite was swallowed, they all stood and began walking towards the bedrooms. Though none had said so, all three silently understood that before he departed, Nightline would ease Luna into a more peaceful sleep. And so he did, this time with Celestia watching. When his Lullaby concluded, the young colt turned only to find that the sun princess too had passed out in the doorway after hearing his silky tones.

With a grin, Nightline approached the snoozing Celestia and, activating his spell, whispered into her ear, "awaken."

Much to his surprise, the spell worked just as he had intended it. And just as he commanded, Celestia swiftly woke and stood, looking as though she hadn't an ounce of drowsiness in her. "What happened?" She asked.

"You fell asleep while listening to my lullaby. I woke you up, though, so you haven't missed anything."

"Oh. Thank you, Nightline. Well, I have some more political matters to attend to. Enjoy your time in the town. We'll all meet in the dining room at dusk for a final farewell before you return home," she explained, before departing out of the room and out of sight.

Nightline spent a few more minutes watching over Princess Luna before making his own exit. His path to the exit of the castle went undeterred, and soon enough he was on the road leading to the town of Canterlot. The town was bustling when he entered. Mares And Stallions alike trotted through the streets in no less than a shirt; most of them were dressed up nicely. Seeing this, Nightline felt slightly more self conscious about his form and raggedy sweater. Swallowing his damaged pride, he continued on.

Everywhere he looked, there were tents and buildings full of different merchandise. From food to clothing to furnishing items, the diversity of product far exceeded that of the Ponyville market. Every so often, a high-class Pony would give Nightline a cross glance, but for the most part, the townspeople seemed friendly. Much friendlier than he had expected, anyways. After a short while of wondering, the ivory unicorn finally turned a corner and found a building with large words above the door, which read:

Pony Joe's Donut Shop

Nightline wasted no time entering, surprised to find it relatively empty. There were a few ponies within, it seemed only for breakfast dates.

"You must be the Wordsmith," the pony behind the front counter shouted out, causing all eyes to find his surprise expression.

Nightline approaches slowly. The pony behind the counter was more or less a Stallion, tan/orange with a blond mane. He wore a white shirt and apron, which was partially stained with dough.

"You know me?" He asked.

"A lot of people around here do. You've been the talk of the town since the workers in the castle got word of special primary staff member being recruited. Little by little over the past few days, we've been getting information about what you can do," Joe explained.

Nightline then remembered the staff members he had heard lurking outside the dining hall when he told the Princesses of his journey to Canterlot. All was slowly becoming clear to him. "I see. I didn't know I was so famous."

"Ah, it'll die down after a week or so. You'll be one of us in no time."

"Well actually, I don't know if-"

"Say, can I interest you in a donut? I've got this new flavor I've been testing, cherry and cinnamon."

At that moment, Nightline's mind left his body. Through his mind's eye, he was carried back to his room, where his bag and bits were still sitting. He had come into town without any money.

"Uh...thanks, but I didn't bring any bits."

"Don't you worry about it. Just tell everyone about it, and we'll call it a square deal," Joe replied, and without waiting for an answer, pulled out a red and pink doughnut which was covered in a cinnamon-sugar mix.

Nightline was appalled by the bargain made, even moreso when Pony Joe shoved the treat into his hoof. After a few moments of contemplation, the young Unicorn decided it best not to refuse and took a bite of the pastry. The flavor which enter his mouth was euphoric and nostalgic; it tasted exactly like the Cherry Changas his mother had made a few months prior. Without hesitating, Nightline finished the doughnut.

"Wow," he said through stuffed cheeks, "that is amazing!"

Joe nodded in pride, smiling. His smile soon turned to a look of concentrated though, however, which was followed with a sigh. "You know what, I am gonna need you to compensate me for that."

"You scumbag," Nightline thought, surprised by this nice stallion's sudden change.

"Now don't get me wrong, I won't take a bit from you. You see, every morning, I donate a few boxes of assorted doughnuts to a place across town, but my delivery boy didn't show today. If I could ask a favor, could you head over to the Filly & Foal Caretaker Lodge with my donation?"

"So, charity?"

"That'd be the case, if you have a liking for it."

Knowing he couldn't fill well dent himself the chance to help the town in such a way, nor could he deny little children such treats, he smiled warmly and nodded. "I'd be glad to."

Pony Joe smiled widely, before momentarily vanishing behind the counter. When he returned, he carried with him three white boxes. Nightline took them and balanced them on his back to carry. Before leaving, he turned to the Stallion and gave him another warm smile, "I think it's great that you do this."

There was no reply. With that, Nightline left and began following the directions Pony Joe had given him. The directions led him through many streets, and around many corners. There were a few points when he was forced to ask for directions after getting lost, but soon enough, Nightline found himself outside a large building with the desired text over the door. However, below the text he expected, another subtitle stood which read "Sanctuary and Orphanage." The colt felt his heart wrench. Wasting no time, he entered the building.

The inside was nothing like he expected. It was fairly gloomy, with little color on the walls. Everything seemed to be the same pale tan or deep red, save for the pony behind the front desk, who was blue.

"Uh, hi. I have some special treats from Pony Joe-"

"Down the hall and to the left. The fillies are all in there."

"Thank you," he relied, ignoring the blatant interruption.

As he went to the location designated, he was again taken aback by the lack of any sort of joy in the room. Most of the children seemed to be sitting around bored while others quietly muttered utterances about finding parents and Cutie Marks to each other.

"Special Delivery from Pony Joe!" Nightline exclaimed, breaking the atmosphere in the room.

"Doughnuts!" One Filly shouted before Galloping over.

Nightline was quick to drop the boxes on the floor, so every Filly and Foal could grab a pastry. After getting her doughnut, the first Filly to charge the boxes approached Nightline curiously.

"You're not Dave," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Nope," he agreed, "Dave couldn't make it, I guess, so I'm here instead."

"Can you do tricks?" A brown Foal asked.

"Hmm?"

"Dave juggles things to make us smile. What can you do?" Another Foal, red, backed the first.

Nightline chuckled, "honestly, not much. I'm not really good at anything."

"But you have a Cutie Mark. You're at least good at one thing," another filly stated, "not like us. We don't have any talents yet."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed again. It returned to a gloom and depression which Nightline wasn't accustomed to in a world such as his.

"Hey now, you're all still young. Take it easy on yourselves."

"Is that why nobody wants us?" Another new voice chimed in.

Nightline could feel his heart splitting in two. What kind of cruel fate would drive children to such mentalities? Worst of all was the fact that every word of encouragement was met with two words of discouragement. Finally, after many minutes of a back-and-forth discussion about the worth of these children's lives, the colt had a spark in his mind. His magic could help them. It could bring them some ounce of joy, or even give them hope.

"Now you all listen, and listen carefully," he commanded, activating his spell, "not having your Cutie Marks yet isn't a bad thing. You're young, and have plenty of time. Parents or no parents, you're all very special. I know because I was almost exactly like you…"

Nightline then went on to tell them the story of his Cutie Mark, while at the same time, filling his every word with nothing but positive emotions surrounded with hope. As the story continued, each one of them grew more and more captivated, watching his life before their very eyes. And as their captivating grew, many of them gathered close to him, almost to the point of them being in a large pile of ponies. It took over an hour to finish the story, but as it concluded, he continued to use his spell.

"Sometimes, life in Equestria isn't all sunshine. But I promise you that if you hold strong, you will find that your hardships will shape you into something truly fantastic." His magic ended.

Many of the ponies had to blink or shake their heads to find a place back in reality. They all stared at him in amazement, the looks in their eyes different than before. As if their entire world had just shifted for the better. None spoke, however, save for one little pink Filly sitting to Nightline's right.

"Will you adopt me?" She asked, genuinely and full of hope.

Nightline was struck speechless. All he could do was stare down at the Filly, who at first looked hopeful, but as the silent moments drew on, seemed to become guilty for making such a request. Many of the other children in the room shared Nightline's astonishment and continued to shift their gazes between the two. After nearly a full minute, Nightline smiles warmly down at the Filly. Hope returned to her eyes.

"I wish I could. If I could, I would take you all away from this place and these struggles. But I'm too young, myself, for that kind of responsibility."

Hope drained from many of their faces. It seemed that his magic could be just as easily undone as it was done. Seeing this, a sense of purpose filled the young colt. His responsibility was as Celestia had told him: to create hope and happiness where none should rightfully exist. That was his ability, which none other than him could do.

"But how about this," he offered, "I'm going to keep coming back here, any time I'm in Canterlot, to see you guys. I'll tell you stories, bring doughnuts, and do whatever else I can to help you. I promise, I'll make things better for you."

No magic was needed for them to know how serious he was. With knowing eyes, they all seemed content. Nightline spent much more time at the orphanage, playing random filly's games and telling more stories. The children were especially fond of the story of his journey to Canterlot, and the trials it showed him. After many hours, and to everypony's disappointment, Nightline had to leave to return to the Castle.

After saying his goodbyes, he exited the orphanage and found himself in a town less rampant than it had been before. He wasted no time observing, however, as he was determined now to reach the castle and accept the job he had been offered. That in mind, he began to run. It didn't take long to arrive back at the front gates, where posted guard once again readied themselves for an intruder when the saw him coming. They relaxed when they saw who it was that was charging the castle.

"Me again," Nightline said humorously as he ran by.

Nightline's speed, much to his surprise, had gotten him to the castle earlier than expected. Neither of the Princesses were in the dining hall yet. He refused to wait, however, and instead went searching through the castle to find them. His searching led him on an indirect path towards the royal throne room, where he was glad to find both Princesses conversing amongst themselves. Both seemed surprised when he entered; they hadn't been expecting him so early. As he began his walk down the long red carpet of this very long room, the two Alicorns decided to meet him halfway, so they stood and began walking themselves. It took only a few moments for them to reach each other.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna," he said, bowing, "I've come to a decision."

"That being?" Luna asked, her voice hopeful.

"While I was in town, I visited an orphanage. The children there; they were all so sad. I couldn't let them feel that way, so I used my magic to give them hope. I see now, what you intended for me to do, Celestia. I would be honored to accept the job."

Both Princesses let out a sigh of relief. In truth, they both feared the sacrifice would be too great to ask of the young colt so soon after discovering his talent. It lifted a great weight off of their backs to know it wasn't.

"Then kneel, noble Wordsmith," said Luna with conviction, "and prepare to take an oath to us, the high Princesses of Equestria."

Nightline did as he was told, kneeling down before them and bowing his head.

"Nightline Wordsmith, bearer of the magic of voice, do you swear your allegiance to the Princesses of Equestria, and before even us, give your loyalty to the betterment of Equestria?" Celestia asked, her voice strong and formal.

Nightline was well prepared to swear for everything they wanted, but he felt that in his position, he needed to do more than give an oath of scripted words. So, knowing how to make it special, he allowed his horn to begin its enchanting glow, using it as a way of conveying the true purpose of his words and the truth within them.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, my horn and my magic and my life belong to you. May you use it for the good of all in Equestria; May you use it for the good of your own well-being. My words will forever flow with the purpose you've given me. I swear all fealty to you."

"And do you swear," Luna continued, "to never use your magic against the Princesses of Equestria, for your gain or for others?"

"Princess I swear, my voice will never cross your ears in malice. Let it bring you only peace."

The two next spoke in unison, "then rise, Nightline Wordsmith, as our vassal and a servant of Equestria."

As he stood at their command, opening his eyes, Nightline noticed that his horn wasn't the only one glowing. Celestia and Luna were both in the process of activating a spell. The spell they were using soon created a white aura which enveloped the Unicorn completely. After only a few moments, the glow faded, leaving Nightline feeling quite different. As he examined himself, it became clear what the Alicorns has done.

The first thing he noticed was that his sweater was completely new, with a sturdier fabric and all. Looked around his torso were two saddlebags, both brown leather and gorgeously crafted. On each one, there was a golden button which sealed the top cover to the body of the back; a button which was engraved with the insignia of Canterlot. The next thing he noticed, perhaps the greatest change of all that the spell had done, was that he himself was different. He was taller, and had more muscle on his body than before. His legs were no longer skinny, but instead toned like a racehorse. His jaw had shaped up more maturely, and both his hair and main were in a fluffier yet more aesthetically pleasing style. It was as if they had aged him into a Stallion in seconds.

Answering his astonishment, Luna stepped forward and said softly, "You've grown, Wordsmith. Thanks to that spell, you will live the next many years of your life without age. Until your true years reach that of which you appear, you will remain untouched by time."

The not-so-young Stallion has no words for what had just been done to him. He didn't know magic like that could exist even in the world of Equestria, and yet it was just shown to him in all its glory. Knowing how speechless Nightline truly was, Celestia assured that he needn't say anything and instead led him to the dining hall for dinner. After quickly eating a hefty salad, the three got straight to discussing business.

"So, you will return to Ponyville tonight to spend time with your friends and family. Give them the news and explain everything," Celestia stated.

"When do I come back?"

"Give yourself a fortnight. Goodbyes are never easy. When you return, we'll give you a few more days to settle in before sending you on your first assignment."

Nightline nodded to indicate his understanding, but remained silent. It was all happening so fast. The previous day, he was a colt without answers as to what he was meant to do, nor any clue on what path to take. But on this day, he became a Stallion, and all of the answers became clear. After they were done eating, Celestia led him and Luna out to the main quartyard where a chariot with two white Pegasus was waiting.

"Guess I'll be doing it right this time," Nightline joked, earning giggles from the two Princesses.

"Indeed you will, Nightline," Luna agreed.

"Send us word when you're ready to leave," Celestia said as Nightline boarded the chariot, "we'll send another to retrieve you."

"Yes princess."

With no more words, the two Pegasi reared onto their back legs and took to the sky. At first, Nightline had to recover his footing, but he soon was balanced and enjoying the view from the sky. It was strange; he had never flown before, and though it was amazing, the experience seemed dull in comparison to the previous three days. After all that he had seen and done, the bar seemed set too high for even flight to reach. One thing about it that did impress the Wordsmith was the speed at which they covered distance. It took only a fraction of the time to reach Ponyville that it would've taken if he were on foot again, even if there was another Timber Wolf on his tail. It was just past dusk when they arrived, but the town was still quiet as all prepared to sleep for the night.

"Thank you," Nightline said to the Pegasi, "have a safe trip back."

The two nodded, before taking off once again. Nightline watched until he lost them in the evening clouds, after which he sighed and began trotting through Ponyville towards his home. As he had observed before, the town was for the most part sleeping. Only a few ponies were still out and about, mainly ones who were closing their stores and stands in the market. As Nightline passed them by, they all stopped and glued their eyes to him, or more specifically, the Canterlot Insignia on his saddlebags. It was strange, but simply walking through his hometown as a Stallion and servant of the Princesses gave him a feeling of empowerment which was rather new, but it caused his strides to be taken with new confidence.

After a short while of walking through the streets of Ponyville, Nightline's home finally came into view, illuminated by the moon and stars above. Standing outside the house was his mother, Aria Stargazer, who was observing the many shimmering lights in the sky and writing certain things down on a piece of paper. She was oblivious to his approach, or so it seemed. Aria wasn't unaware of another pony coming near, but what she would never have guessed was that it would be her own Foal turned Stallion.

"The stars are lovely," said Nightline, his voice more mature than it had been the day he left.

"That they are," she replied, not turning away from her work.

"Anything interesting tonight?"

"Well, the Ursa Major and Minor constellations are shining brightly."

"Well how about that; newborn Ursas don't come into Equestria very often," he stated.

"Impressive. You know the meaning of stellar activities?" Aria asked, still not making eye contact.

Nightline chuckled, "I'm more a novice than anything, but I'm not completely ignorant. I also dabble in construction and carpentry. I learned both trades from my parents."

The mare froze. Her quill was still suspended in the air by magic, creating an ever-expanding blot of ink on the page. Slowly, she turned her head to face the stallion before her, only to find a white horse wearing a grey sweater, carrying two leather saddlebags with the Canterlot insignia on the buckle. As he saw the realization in her eyes, Nightline let a smile spread on his face.

"Nightline?" she asked, her voice shaking as she was barely able to believe that it was her son standing before her, "Is that really you?"

"It's me, Mom. It's me," he replied, his voice beginning to quiver as well.

Aria slowly approached, glancing up and down Nightline's body as if searching for evidence for or against the claim of his identity. After only a few seconds, it seemed she finally came to terms with the truth, and with an outburst of emotion, wrapped her front legs around him in a tight hug. He returned it with only his left, using the right to keep them from falling. The hug lasted a few minutes while Aria quietly cried, both in joy and pride. Nightline's own eyes also began to water, but he hadn't the time to cry, for a single male voice broke their emotional moment.

"Who in the name of Celestia are you?" it asked angrily.

Nightline immediately identified the voice of his father, Erit Guption. Knowing this, he broke the hug and faced the angry carpenter smiling, and greeted, "Hey dad."

Erit stood speechless, glancing between Nightline and Aria in hopes for some explanation. Feeling that there was none, he simply accepted what was before him and approached his son with a growing smile. "Look at you; you're all grown up," he said, before wrapping Nightline in a hug, "What happened to you?"

Nightline's explanation began as the entered their house, beginning with his departure from Ponyville and every event that followed, including his trip to the orphanage and the spell cast by Princess Celestia. The only details he spared were those of the job itself. When his story was complete, it was already much later than any of them wished to be away, and so with many goodnights, Nightline left for his bedroom. He found sleeping rather difficult, seeing as his bed was now too small for him, but he managed. The next morning, Nightline joined his parents for breakfast. Prepared for him on a plate was a sandwich of various greens, along with a fruit salad. After exchanging greetings, the three sat down and began eating.

"So Nightline," Erit inquired, "tell us about the job. What will you be doing?"

"Well, I'll more or less be working as an Ambassador for Canterlot. I'll be there for political meetings and the like, so that I can use my magic to settle disputes between equestrian dignitaries. On the side, I'll be using my magic to maintain peace wherever I am, as I did with the Orphanage. Thirdly, the Princesses want to study my magic in itself, so I'll be using it around them quite often." Nightline's parents seemed very impressed by his sudden high status, but his next words stifled their joy quite quickly, "But there is some bad news."

"Bad news?" Aria asked.

Nightline nodded. "I'm moving to a room in Castle Canterlot." He waited in silence for his words to sink in before continuing, "I'm going to be traveling around Equestria a lot on business, but my home base will be there. After that, there is a danger. I'm working as royalty, now, so I'm a target for dangerous ponies. But don't worry, I'll be well protected and well paid, and for the difference I can make, I think it'll be worth it."

All fell silent. Erit simply had his eyes glued to Nightline, but Aria was a different story. Her eyes fell low, and locked onto the oak table as if an invisible thread prevented them from moving. Seconds turned to minutes of the dreary taciturnity, and none could break it. The stillness in the room, though it changed nothing of the atmosphere, was ended when Erit glanced over to his wife, and by some unheard message, knew that there was a battle raging within her. Without hesitation, he moved to directly beside her and wrapped his forehoof around her own.

"Aria?" Inquired Erit, concern evident in his voice.

She raised her eyes, finally, to look at her husband. Her gaze soon shifted to Nightline, and as it did, he finally caught a glimpse as to what she was feeling. Her pride was overshadowed by an emptiness; a fear of knowing that her own Foal was about to enter a world without the luxuries and protections he had grown up with. He would be unprotected, and would face Equestria alone. This was the message he received in her eyes. Gulping down the lump in his throat, Nightline stood and walked around the table to his mother's side.

Taking her only free hoof into his, he locked her eyes in a gaze and spoke softly, "Mom, I'll be alright. I'm going to make you proud."

Aria replied quickly, "I've always been proud of you, Nightline. You're my Foal; my foal! And every night when I see the stars, all I see is the sparkle of your horn. You're going to be so far away." Her voice quivered as tears began to form in her eyes."

"You're wrong. I'll always be here, and you'll always be with me. Every night, I'll look up at those stars and know you're seeing them same ones. The same moon will watch over me as you watch it, and we will be greeted every day by the same sunrise. I'll be safe out there, and I'll be secure right here."

An onslaught of tears ended the emotional morning. None could dispute his wise words, and none wanted to. With nothing left but joy, the three finished their breakfast. As usual, Aria collected the plates and brought them to the kitchen to wash. Only seconds after arriving did she call attention to a potted flower sitting on the windowsill.

"Honey, look! My flower is blooming! I can't believe it survived after what happened," she exclaimed excitedly.

As Nightline gazed at the plant, he could help but admire it. The single purple flower stood proud on its own, beautifully taking in the sunlight. It's color reminded him of the flower which his Pegasus Friend Iris wore in her mane. This Segway of thought brought the stallion to an abrupt realization.

"Iris!" He thought to himself, before saying quickly, "I'm gonna head out for a bit. I'll be back!"

Without waiting for a response, Nightline stood from his seat and rushed to the door, bursting through it like an angered yak. His mad dash was interrupted only seconds after leaving the house when a pink blur found itself directly in his path. Nightline and the pink mass went tumbling onto the street, leaving Nightline lying painfully on his back while the blur in question found itself lying atop the Stallion.

"What did I hit?" wondered Nightline as he shook the daze from his head.

"That you, Nightline?" A rather shocked female voice from the blur asked.

Opening his eyes, the Stallion found that it was none other than Iris Pinkberry herself who had found herself in the path of a speeding horse.

With a smile and a pained chuckle, he replied, "I'm not sure. I lost feeling in my everything."

Giggling, Iris stood and proceeded to help Nightline do the same. "Well, maybe you should watch where you're going when you- whoa," she said, but stopped dead when she saw him standing tall. Only then did she fully realize how different he appeared.

With ears folded down, she took a few moments to inspect the Stallion before her; who, only a few days prior, was no taller than she. Nightline couldn't help but blush not only at Iris' judicious staring, but by the fact that his parents were also watching closely from the kitchen window as if expecting some amount of dramaticized entertainment to come of this reunition.

"What in the name of Celestia happened to you?" Iris asked, letting her wondering eyes rest on Nightline's face.

"Celestia," he replied, creating a small joke out of the expression his pink friend had just used; a joke which actually earned laughter. "She cast a spell that made me a more suitable age for the job after I accepted it."

"Wait, you got the job? That's great!" Iris exclaimed, rushing forward and hugging him tightly. This was followed by the excited squeak of his mother from the window she was spying through. "Tell me everything," the rambunctious Pegasus demanded while leading Nightline into town.

There was no real destination in mind as she led him through the streets, but even still, they walked excitedly. Nightline explained every detail of the trip, including the job details which he had spared from his parents on the first telling. Iris seemed unfazed by the news of his departure, too caught in her own joy to notice. They spent the entire day together without a care in the world, as did the following days pass in the same manner with his family. Nightline basked in all the joy he could, for he knew that the goodbye was yet to come.

 **Here we are again. Next chapter will be up some time next week. I hope you all enjoyed! Leave me a review or two!**


	8. Way of the Wordsmith: Dragonshy

**Sorry for the long wait! I got so blocked while writing this chapter. Leading up to an emotional departure isn't easy as a writer. We always want to get straight to the good stuff and ignore the much needed filler. As much as people knock filler, it is the level ground involved in a story, as well as the bread for the cake of character development. Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 8

On the fifth morning after his arrival home, Nightline Wordsmith decided to take a stroll into town. He left early and quietly, so as not to disturb his parents. The sun hasn't yet been risen into the sky, leaving the moon to shine brightly, accompanied by the beautiful stars above. With those two sources of light, the town was nicely illuminated. As Nightline walked through the streets, he took in the sights. This, his childhood home, would become a memory in only a few days. He wanted to make sure it was a clear one. No other ponies were around at that time in the morning; all were still in bed, snoozing away. And as Nightline wandered the streets, he glanced up at the moon and thought of his favored Princess who at that moment was most likely working hard to ensure the dreams of ponies were joyful ones. With his eyes locked on the moon, the Wordsmith let his horn turn silver in its magical light before speaking.

"Good morning, Princess. I'll be seeing you again in a couple of days. I happened to be up early, and thought I'd say hello before the sun rises and you turn in for your hours of sleep. I hope all is going well for you tonight, and thank you for keeping the dreams of all who sleep peaceful," he said.

Suddenly, a bright aura opened before his eyes, and as if it were a doorway, Princess Luna herself stepped through and onto the Ponyville street. "Though your words are genuine, your magic betrays you. What brings you to sadness, Wordsmith?"

Dumbfounded, he replied in question, "Wait, why are you here? Shouldn't you be monitoring the dream world?"

"I am. My work carries me to all dreams; even to yours."

"Wait, this is a...oh," Nightline stated blankly, "that explains why I'm up so early."

Luna giggled, "You have yet to answer my question. What compels such sadness in a spirit as free as yours?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I guess I'm getting ready to say goodbye."

"To whom would you say goodbye?"

Nightline looked at her quizzically, thinking the answer to her question was obvious. "My friends, my family. Ponyville. This was my home."

"What reason do you have to bid this town farewell?" She asked, smiling as if amused.

Nightline again looked on in confusion, "I'm leaving in two days. Who knows when I'll be back again, and even then, I'm just visiting. My home will be in Canterlot, away from everything I know."

"Nightline, for someone as wise as yourself, I'm surprised by your conflict. Your home will always be where your loved ones are. Taking up residence elsewhere means nothing but distance." Nightline thought hard on her words. "Based on your mother's dreams tonight, you told her something similar earlier this week. She finds great comfort in your words."

He chuckled before saying, "thank you, Princess. That makes me feel a great deal better than I was."

Luna nodded, closing her eyes with a smile, "morning is coming, Wordsmith. You should wake now, and make sure you spend some quality time with your loved ones."

Before Nightline could reply, the dream turned to nothing. Only moments later, bright rays of sunlight coming from his bedroom window roused him from his slumber. With a yawn, the Stallion stood and donned his signature hoodie before making his way down to the kitchen, where breakfast was already in the making. Nightline recognized the smell in the room easily: Cherry Chongas.

"Good morning, son," Erit said, glancing up from a newspaper.

"If those are what I think they are, then 'good' doesn't even begin to describe this morning," Nightline replied, finding himself a seat at the table.

Aria smiled at his comment, but made no reply. Instead, she simply continued cooking while Erit returned to his newspaper. A few moments later, an aberration caught Nightline's attention; his father took in a deep breath which was then followed by semi-violent coughing. The Wordsmith took in a breath of his own in order to ask what was wrong, only to be met with a faint burning in his chest and the smell of rancid smoke.

"What is that?" He wondered, as his mother too fell victim to it.

Seeking answers, Nightline stood and stepped outside, only to find that the day was fairly normal. This first appearance changed, however, when the Unicorn looked up to discover a large and slow-moving cloud of black smoke hovering over the town. The cloud seemed to be originating from a distant mountain. Not knowing what it could be, but knowing it must be of some consequence to Ponyville, Nightline knew that he needed to consult a knowledgeable Pony about the troubles at hand.

"I'm going to the Library. I'll be back," he shouted into the house, before taking off into town.

On his path to the book-filled tree, Nightline noted that few of the town residents had taken notice of the smoke. It's effects seemed minimal, which was good news, though Nightline feared that they would grow worse. When he arrived at the Library, Nightline stopped to slow his breathing before knocking on the front door with purpose. When it opened, he was met with a short purple and green dragon, who was walking with with a metal clothespin attached to his snout, pinching his nostrils shut.

"What's up?" Spike asked, his voice comically altered by the pin.

"So you smell it too. Is Twilight in?"

"Depends on what you mean by 'in'," he replied, leading Nightline inside, "if you mean 'in'sane, then yes, she is. If you mean 'in' the tree, you've got about a fifty fifty shot. She's been running in and out all morning trying to figure out what's going on."

"And here I am hoping she'd already know. It's spreading too fast-"

Just then, a frantic purple unicorn rushed into the room, magically carting a few books behind her.

"Ok, Spike. The good news is, it isn't a fire. There's no wood in Equestria that smells this bad when burning. And no fire creates a smoke like this. The bad news is that I still can't figure out what it-oh, hi Nightline," Twilight greeted, finally noticing that she had a guest.

"Can't figure out what it is?" The Stallion asked, finishing her incomplete statement, "exactly why I'm here. I was hoping you had some answers, but I guess not."

"I'm sorry," she replied, returning to her frantic reading, "I haven't got a clue what that smoke could be, or whether or not it's dangerous. There isn't a book in this library which tells me anything useful for this situation. At least I'll know what to do next time my shower backs up," she added, glancing at a book with a plunger on the cover.

"We could write Princess Celestia. I'm sure she'll know what to do," Spike offered, making Twilight perk up.

"Yes, that's a great idea," she praised.

With those words spoken, Spike pulled out a paper and quill in preparation to write a letter.

"Dear Princess," Twilight began, "There may be trouble here in Ponyville. A strange and rancid-smelling black smoke has begun to cover the skies. Near as I can tell, it isn't a fire, but the smoke isn't natural and I fear it could be dangerous. Without any proper answers, I seek your guidance now. Your loyal student, Twilight Sparkle."

With the "ok" from Twilight, Spike wrapped and sent the letter off in a puff of green flame. Only a few seconds later, his cheeks puffed out in a familiar way and with a belch and another lick of flame, a scroll appeared from Celestia. Spike was quick to begin reading.

"My dear student, it would seem you were right. This smoke isn't natural, and poses a threat not only to Ponyville, but to all of Equestria. It would seem that in a cave in a nearby mountain, a dragon has begun a hibernation cycle. As it sleeps, it exhales a heavy smoke which is expanding and covering the skies. Within a week, this smoke could overcast the entirety of Equestria. And this dragon could sleep for easily 100 years. And so, the task falls to you, Twilight Sparkle, and your band of friends to relocate this dragon however you see fit. Be cautious, however, my pupil. For if the dragon becomes angered, the consequences could be worse a fate than the smoke." he finished reading.

The room fell silent. All eyes, them being Nightline's and Spikes, were glued to Twilight as she contemplated the job given her.

"Alright," she said with determination, "there's no time to waste."

With that, Twilight rushed out the door, sweeping Spike onto her back as she passed. Nightline was soon to follow, hard pressed to keep pace with the unicorn as she rushed to the center of Ponyville. She came to a stop upon a bridge, surrounded by ponies all going about their business. She quickly called all attention to herself, her voice serious and firm.

"Smoke is spreading over all of Equestria," she announced, earning an onslaught of fearful voices. "But Don't worry. I've just received a letter from Princess Celestia informing me that it is not coming from a fire." The ponies seemed to relax, looking relieved. "It's coming from a dragon."

Voices began to murmur in the crowd, many ponies unsure of what to do.

"But don't worry, everypony. A plan is well underway to relocate the dragon and make sure Equestria remains safe." The voices of worry changed, then, to voices of joy, comforted by the news that the prodigy of Princess Celestia would be there to save them. Twilight then looked directly at the nearby Pinkie Pie, "Pinkie, get the girls and meet me at the library."

With a smile, Pinkie ran off to gather her friends. Though Nightline found comfort in knowing Twilight had a plan, he wondered just what that plan might be and who could force a dragon to relocate other than an Alicorn. As the last of her band of friends ran off to the aforementioned location, the Stallion quickly followed. Instead of entering with the six, he instead waited outside, listening to their conversation.

"What in the name of all things cinnamon swirl is a full grown dragon doing here in Equestria?" Applejack asked, sounding rather flustered.

"Sleeping," Twilight stated, earning noises of confusion, "According to Princess Celestia, he's taking a nap. His snoring is what's causing all this smoke."

Pinkie was the next to chime in, saying, "He should really see a doctor. That doesn't sound healthy at all!"

"Well, at least he's not snoring fire. What are we meant to do about it?" Rarity asked.

"I'll tell you what we're meant to do," Rainbow Dash replied, "give em' the boot!"

Rainbow's voice was followed by miscellaneous sounds of carnage from within the library, causing Nightline to laugh as he knew it was the rambunctious Pegasus who was to blame. The noises ended with Twilight's voice.

"We need to encourage him to take a nap somewhere else," she stated firmly, "Princess Celestia has given us this mission and we must not fail."

Nightline listened no further. Instead, he walked back out into town, where he found many of the ponies all going about their day as if they hadn't heard of any crisis to begin with. Nightline, however, didn't return to such leisurely activities. The six ponies left town within the hour, and instead of relaxing, the Wordsmith waited by Ponyville's entrance and eyeballed the distant mountain intently, waiting for some sign that their perilous journey was successful. He couldn't shake a feeling of uneasiness.

"Bit for your thoughts?" Asked a sudden but recognizable Pegasus's voice.

Nightline turned to see Iris sitting beside him, following his gaze out towards the smokey mountain. She glanced to him only to flash a smile before returning her eyes to the near horizon.

"Just worried, is all," he replied.

"About what? They're probably the strongest group of ponies in Equestria."

"I know, it's just...I don't know. I guess it just feels off."

"They'll be fine. They won't even have to fight the dragon; they've got Fluttershy. She can just talk to it-"

"Wait, What?" Nightline interjected, suddenly turning to face her, "Fluttershy is their plan?"

Iris blinked in confusion, "Well, yeah."

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be? She's great with animals."

"I know she is, but she's also terrified of just about everything."

For a while, Iris didn't reply. Instead, the two sat, eyeballing the column of smoke emanating from the mountain. Finally, the artistic Pegasus broke the silence with a voice soft and serious.

"So you really don't think she can convince the dragon to leave?" Iris asked.

"I know she can convince the dragon to leave," Nightline replied, "but she may be too afraid to get that far."

Once again, there was no reply. Nightline continued to watch the smoke spread over the blue sky, as if it were a storm cloud. With winter so close to beginning, the Stallion would have believed it were an oncoming tempest if not for the smell. He watched it move and churn within itself, rolling slowly in every direction. With every inch the smoke gained, Nightline hoped that much more for Fluttershy's bravery.

"Go," said Iris suddenly, "they need you."

Nightline was shocked. "Me?" he asked defensively, standing to face the Pegasus, "Why me? I'm not strong enough to face a dragon!"

Iris placed her hooves on Nightline's shoulders, forcing him to cease his defensive outburst, before replying, "If not Fluttershy, then you are the only pony in Equestria who can talk a dragon into relocating for a nap. If not her, it has to be you, Nightline."

He didn't reply. Instead he stared, shocked, into the eyes of his friend who remained completely serious. After a few moments, Iris pulled him in and hugged him tight; something she'd only done once before. Nightline couldn't help but melt into the hug while returning it. After only a few moments, she pulled back slightly and placed a very quick kiss on his cheek before pulling back entirely.

Before Nightline had any time to process what she had done, Iris shoved him out onto the road and commanded, "Now go. There's no time to waste."

With a smile and a nod, he turned and began to gallop down the path, following the footprints of those he pursued. As he ran, thoughts raced through his mind. But not thoughts of the dragon he may face, as most would expect. Instead, Nightline's mind lingered on the embrace of Iris Pinkberry, and the peck on his cheek which he wasn't convinced was actually given. Would Iris really have done something so bold? And if she did, would she have done it as a move of encouragement, or something more? Nightline settled on the former conclusion, seeing as it seemed she believed in him and did want to boost his confidence. With that in mind, he also began to think about how, if Iris believed in him, it meant she was also counting on him to succeed, the same as how all of Equestria was depending on the group which he pursued to relocate the dragon.

For as long as he had sat staring at the road, it took him that much longer to reach the mountain. As he came within a mile of the first slope, Nightline saw that descending a path down its face was a small yellow Pegasus with a soft pink mane. Her head was hung low, as if her spirit had suffered a mighty blow. Nightline stopped a few hundred yards away from the beginning of the mountain slope and partially hid himself in some bushes, waiting for the Pony he identified as Fluttershy to pass. Just as he hid, she reached the bottom and began following her path back towards Ponyville.

"I was right," Nightline thought, "she couldn't face her fears."

Right then, a loud voice shook the ground around the mountain and another tuft of smoke escaped the mountain. Nightline knew it was the dragon's snoring.

"It's up to me."

As Fluttershy passed him by on his right, the Unicorn continued his path towards the mountain. Nightline froze, however, as the sound of quiet crying and a sniff caught his ears. He turned to see that the young Pegasus was shedding heartbroken tears. It was clear how guilty she felt, being unable to deliver where she was truly needed. A conflict grew within the Wordsmith which he could not shake. But one thing became very clear.

"It's not my place; it's Fluttershy's" he thought, "mine is helping her find her courage."

With determination, Nightline emerged from the brush and approached the oblivious Pegasus from behind as she paced away from the mountain.

"The dragon is that way," He said, making his presence known.

Fluttershy jumped in fear, turning to see the Stallion nodding towards the mountain. She eyeballed him quizzically, obviously wondering why he was there.

"I'm sure they're still waiting for you to take care of it."

"I'm sorry, Nightline," she replied, lowering her head once more, "I just can't."

"I don't see why. You have all the talent you need to do this. Nopony talks to animals like you do."

"But this isn't just an animal. It's a dragon," Fluttershy argued.

"Just talk to it like it like it isn't. It'll all turn out alright," he reassured her.

For a brief moment, Nightline's words seemed to give Fluttershy some semblance of hope. This hope which the Unicorn observed only moments later was revealed to be misplaced, as she stepped forwards with a smile and pointed directly at him.

"You can do it!" She quietly exclaimed, leaving the Stallion rather confused. "You have such a way with words. If I can't, then you certainly can. Could you?"

Nightline sighed and crunched up his face, barely succeeding in stifling his frustration. With little tact, he said, "Why are you afraid of the dragon? You weren't afraid when you went to face Nightmare Moon, and she's definitely more dangerous."

"Oh, but I was afraid," Fluttershy insisted, "but my friends needed me then. And I'd never let them down."

Nightline smirked. After a brief few moments, Fluttershy also realized what she had just been tricked into saying. Her expression showed shame. With a smile, Nightline approached and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"It's no different now, Fluttershy. They need you. We all do. And I know you can do it."

Fluttershy was lost for words. So, without speaking, she conceded the debate with a nod. Turning, Nightline began walking towards the mountain.

"Come on," he commanded, "I'll walk up with you."

"Ok," Fluttershy replied, finding a place to his right as they walked.

The trek up the trail to the mountain peak wasn't very long. It took less than a half hour to make it, and much to their delight, they arrived to find that the five ponies waiting there were in good order. None of them had spotted the two, so Nightline was about to make his presence known. However, the sight of Pinkie Pie entering the cave before them all dressed in some rather hilarious comedy props silenced him. She was shouting something about making the dragon laugh before she vanished inside. Only moments later, a growl and a flash of fire came from within, before Pinkie emerged looking charred, and all of her props were destroyed. Before any more could happen, Nightline felt the hood of his sweater grabbed before he was forcefully pulled behind a large boulder by a terrified Fluttershy.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh," She sputtered out, shaking in fear.

Nightline did his best to calm her, but before any progress could be made, another growl shook the mountain. In fear, Fluttershy ducked her head to the ground; an instinct which the Stallion soon wished to share. Only a second after the growl, a blast of smoke impact the boulder they were hiding behind, shattering it. The force of the blast knocked Nightline back and over the side of the mountain, where he proceeded to slide and roll and bounce his way back to the bottom, where he lay dazed but unharmed. Fearing the worst, he quickly stood and looked back up to the mountain peak, but saw nothing. No smoke, no fire, and no more growls. For minutes upon minutes, the world stood still, until finally, something happened. Nightline was greatly relieved when a large red mass of scales flew off from the peak of the mountain and out towards the edge of Equestria.

Sighing with relief, the white stallion began the climb up the same slope which he had fallen down. This path proved far shorter than the one which he had taken with Fluttershy. Instead of thirty, it only took Nightline five minutes to reach the top. Cautiously, he peered over the dull cliff to see what had become of the six ponies he knew to be on the flat. To his delight, he found that each and every one of them was not only present, but was celebrating Fluttershy's evident success. Smiling, Nightline retreated back down the slope, leaving the ponies to their celebration. Though he would've liked to have joined them, he knew the good hearted Fluttershy would try to pass some, if not most of the credit to himself. And though he did play his part, he knew also that this was Fluttershy's victory, not his. The walk back to Ponyville, though long, felt short to the relaxed Wordsmith. Iris met his return with hopeful eyes, her gaze in and of itself begging the question: did it leave?

"Yeah, it left," Nightline stated, causing both Iris and a few nearby ponies (of which he didn't know were listening) to break out in joyful celebration.

Rushing forwards, Iris wrapped Nightline in the third hug she'd ever given him. Moments later, she pulled back and demanded, "So, how'd it happen? Details!"

The moment she shouted those words, all nearby ponies flocked to surround the now flustered unicorn, knowing that if he truly told the story, it would be a sight to behold. Smiling, Nightline sighed and began both the story and his famed spell. He first described how he had waited for a short while, contemplating their need for his help, before chasing after them towards the mountain.

"As I saw the smoke spreading, I thought time was short before the damage would be set in stone. I ran hard, and as I finally came upon the mountain, I saw Flutt-" but Nightline froze. He looked around to see his captivated audience, all waiting for him to continue, but he couldn't. "How?" He wondered to himself, "how can I tell this story without making myself out as the hero and Fluttershy the coward?" It felt to Nightline like an eternity of contemplation, but in truth, it took only moments for him to decide what to do. "I saw Fluttershy, and not far beyond her, Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the party who had set out to relocate the dragon. They were already on their way up the mountain, and so I rushed to catch up. But no sooner than we reached the top did the dragon wake to our noise, and it attacked!" All listening shrank back in fear. "We were trapped, pinned by the beast with nowhere to go, and we thought it would be the end for us. But then, a brave Pegasus came forth; Fluttershy had evaded its claws, and with little more than some stern words, she reduced the beast to tears and sent it on its way."

The spell ended. The crowd was silent, and soon after began to murmur amongst themselves words which Nightline couldn't hear. Breaking the relative silence, Iris once again let her voice be heard.

"Fluttershy really did all that?"

Nightline nodded. "I was wrong. She's much braver than I thought."

 **hope you all enjoyed! Leave me a review, if you have any inquiries about the story. And leave me any constructive criticisms you have! They help me improve.**


	9. Back to You

**And here is chapter 9! It's a shorter chapter, and has some music lyrics as any MLP story can't go without a song or two, but these are original and as such have no song you can listen to. Read them more or less like a poem, unless you think you can imagine the rhythm and melody.**

Chapter 9

Twilight and her band of friends returned later that night. As it was late, there was no celebration until the next morning, when Fluttershy was praised for her deeds. At the same time, much cleanup had to happen that day. Nightline did his part with the other Unicorns, using his new magical strength (gifted to him during the aging spell from the Princesses) to aid in gathering the remaining smoke in concentrated clouds for the qualified Pegasi to clear away. Much to his dismay, Iris Pinkberry went to Fluttershy's to help her care for her animals who had been sickened by the smoke, erasing any chance of him spending time with her on his last full day in Ponyville. Though laborious, that day was short. As it was coming to a close, many of the Pony folk returned to their homes to supp before turning in for the night. However, near the outskirts of town, on a plot of land filled with animals, two Pegasi still worked to feed each animal an herbal soup. Though Iris and Fluttershy had been working together the entire day, they had exchanged very few words. They were too busy caring for each and every critter Fluttershy had. However, feeding them soup was a calmer activity which allowed for some small talk.

"I know you heard this a lot this morning," said Iris, "but congrats on convincing the dragon to leave."

Fluttershy smiled and began spoon-feeding a squirrel, "Oh, no, I really didn't do all that much."

Iris began to do the same with a badger, "Brave as you can be, you're still too modest. You saved your friends and got rid of a dragon! That's more than a lot of ponies can say they've done. I especially liked the part where you talked so sternly, it cried."

Both girls giggled to themselves for a few moments as they switched animals. Fluttershy began feeding a large bear, while Iris chose to feed a more manageable bunny. Fluttershy stopped giggling abruptly, however, and looked questioningly at her pink counterpart.

"How did you know I did that?" She asked.

"Oh, when Nightline got home, he told me and a few others the whole story. I might as well have seen you do it with my own eyes," Iris replied, smiling widely.

"Oh, well good. Then you'll believe me when I say that I couldn't have done it without him."

With those words, Iris was confused. To her knowledge, at least from what Nightline had told her, he played no part in the dragon's relocation other than being in need of rescue. Before long, a sneaking suspicion entered her mind. "Tell me everything that happened after you left with the others."

Back in Ponyville, most of the ponies were already in bed. Nightline and his parents were no exception, however they had gone to bed with great reluctance, knowing that dusk the following day would mark Nightline's final departure. The blue-maned stallion had no dreams that night, making the time before his last goodbye that much shorter. The following morning, breakfast was brief. Aria had prepared a simple salad, but food meant little to the three ponies on that day. They ate quickly before Nightline had to excuse himself to begin packing. He had very little to pack, however, as he had few possessions to his name. He didn't need to pack any of his bedding, or furniture, as it was all provided in Canterlot. With a solemn heart, he loaded his quills and the remainder of his ink into his saddlebags. With all he would need packed, and only a small portion of the day used up, the Unicorn returned to the kitchen with his bags in tow, where his parents were still sitting in silence. Their eyes were drawn when he dropped his bags by the front door, but they said nothing. After a seeming eternity of silence, Nightline was the first to speak.

"I'll visit for the holidays," he said, attempting to sound lighthearted, and smiling just the same.

"Of course, sweetie," his mother replied, raising her posture.

"If you didn't, it would throw our entire family bond into question," Erit joked, throwing a leg over Nightline's shoulders.

"And winter is really close, so we won't forget your promise," Aria added, joining the two in a familial embrace.

They held one another for minutes upon minutes, holding onto the moment for as long as possible. Their time was broken, however, when a knock sounded from the front door. Being the closest, Erit was the one to separate and answer the door.

"Afternoon, Iris," he greeted, making Nightline's ears perk up.

"Hi. Is Nightline in?" She replied, glancing into the house beyond the abstructing horse. Nightline quickly wandered into the view of the door, to which she quickly said, "Oh, Nightline, good. If you aren't too busy, would you mind walking with me for a while?"

Nightline quickly agreed, not so much as he was eager but due to the fact that in her voice, he detected less of a request and more of a demand. Wondering if something was wrong, he followed her into town. He waited until they were out of earshot of his parents before speaking.

"So, what's up?"

"Well, I went to Fluttershy's yesterday during the cleanup to help her take care of her animals," Iris explained.

"That was nice. After all that smoke, I'm sure they weren't feeling well. Fluttershy would've had her Hooves full without you," Nightline replied as they came upon the same pink fountain where he had read his first story for the first time. The memory made him smile.

"Exactly why I went. While I was there, I decided to congratulate her about getting rid of the dragon, and she told me the most interesting thing."

Nightline froze, immediately realizing what the situation was. As he slowly looked over to his friend's face, he found a blank expression with a hint of inquisitive irritation. For a few moments, they stood in silence. Finally, Nightline opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off.

"Nightline, why would you lie to me? You're like, my best friend," she questioned angrily.

The white stallion sighed, feeling more or less completely ashamed of his deception. With his ears folded down, he walked over to the fountain and sat beside it. Iris soon followed, though Nightline didn't make eye contact. Instead, he turned his head away, and spoke softly.

"I couldn't tell you the truth. If I did, then you and everyone else would've seen Fluttershy as a coward, and would've given me credit for what she did. I couldn't do that to her."

Iris' face turned immediately to an expression of understanding. "You did it for Fluttershy," she stated, realizing the truth of the matter.

Nightline finally turned to face his pink friend, relieved to see that her face no longer showed any anger.

"I'm sorry I had to lie-"

"No," Iris interrupted, scooting closed to him, "don't be. You did a good thing."

With no further words, the Pegasus wrapped Nightline in another hug. This time, the stallion had more than enough time to return and melt into the embrace, finding great comfort in Iris' presence. They remained in that position for nearly as long as Nightline had with his parents earlier that morning; a detail which caught his attention. The warmth he felt with the pink Pegasus reminded him of the kiss which she had placed on his cheek two days prior, before he had run off to intercept the group meant to relocate the dragon. This memory caused Iris' embrace to feel much warmer, but thinking that he may have clung to the hug for too long, he awkwardly broke it apart, a blush on his cheeks. Iris too had a flush to the pink of her cheeks. As Nightline pulled away, Iris stood from her seated position and faced the direction they had come from. As she backed even farther away, Nightline internally punched himself. His face contorted both in remorse for breaking the embrace and contemplation of his next move.

"So, umm, wanna head back?" She asked, looking up to see the sun peaking in the sky and beginning it's decent. She then began to lead the walk, and added, "your chariot should be on its way soon, and-"

"Iris, wait!" Nightline exclaimed, startling his friend, who stared at him in shock.

"What's wrong?" She asked, turning again to face him fully.

The stallion trotted up impulsively, getting closer than he'd been before for conversation, and his face showed both fear and certainty. "Iris," he said, "I'm leaving today."

Iris couldn't help but giggle. "Well, yeah-" she began to speak, but was silenced by a hoof on her lips. She was about to move it away and continue, but was frozen when she felt it shake. Nightline was trembling in fear; fear of what, Iris couldn't tell.

"You were my first friend," he stated plainly, "you were there for the first public display of the talent which earned me my Cutie Mark. You've been there by my side ever since, and now, I'm going away. I thought; I thought I was ready, but I'm not. You're my best friend, and lately, you've become more." He fell silent.

After a few moments of confusion, Iris finally asked, "what are you talking about?"

Before any more thoughts could cross her mind, Nightline did something unexpected by her or anypony in the perpetually darkening area. He quickly stepped forward and placed his lips to those of the pink Pegasus before him, his eyes clenched shut both in passion and fear of the expression on her face. Her own eyes widened, and her entire body grew rigid. Her wings reflexively moved, and remained frozen in their upward position. The kiss was held for what felt to Nightline like a lifetime, and just as he began to regret his action, Iris began to relax and melt inwards. Soon after, her eyes closed and she returned the given kiss. It broke only moments later.

As their eyes opened, Nightline abruptly spoke. "I'm sorry," He spewed out quickly.

Iris giggled, looking into his eyes softly, "don't be. I did it first." She then leaned her forehead on his with closed eyes once again. "It's about time you returned the favor. Come on," she said, beginning to lead Nightline towards his home.

He stopped her, however. When questioned, he lowered his eyes and stated, "I can't leave you."

With a delicate smile, Iris forced Nightline to look into her eyes. "Yes you can."

"It's too far-"

"No, Nightline," she interrupted sternly, "I didn't spend the last few months as your friend to watch you throw away your chance at a meaningful life over a silly crush." Her words struck him to the core. "Now, hold your chin high, and set your spirit free. Some day, when the time comes, you'll find your way back home to me."

With a nought but a nod, Nightline turned and found his place at Iris' left side, and together, they began the walk to his house, where the chariot would soon be arriving. Neither of them could help but smile as they walked, so close to one another that their sides were touching. When the house came into view, the two also noticed that a golden chariot was also waiting, attached to two alabaster Pegasi and accompanied by a group of Ponyville locals. These included Nightline's parents, Twilight Sparkle, her band of friends, Twilight's assistant Spike, the first three fillies to discover Nightline's Cutie Mark (Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell), and a few other strangers who had come to enjoy the stallion's voice. When they arrived, Erit quickly fitted the saddlebags onto his son's back. When they were properly secured, Nightline was approached by Twilight, who carried Spike on her back.

"If you ask, Celestia will teach you the spell for sending letters to spike. It's much faster than mail by Derpy," she said.

"I'll definitely ask."

Fluttershy was the next to approach. With her head low, she spoke, "Nightline, I'm sorry I told Iris about what happened. I didn't know-"

"It's alright. To be honest, I couldn't be happier that you did," Nightline interrupted, nuzzling Iris, who was still standing at his side.

This action caused all around them to come to attention, quizzically eyeballing the two. The first to comment on the matter was not any of the nearby grown ponies, but one of the nearby Fillies; Sweetie Bell.

With a wide grin and a pointing hoof, she asked, "Wait, are you two?" Nightline nodded.

To Iris' right, another pink pony let out a powerful squeal before dashing off and around a corner. Only moments later, Pinkie Pie reappeared to Nightline's left. From places unknown, a small amount of confetti began to fall accompanied by the sound of noise making party favors and Pinkie's rampant congratulations. Her excitement made everypony present laugh.

"Now, don't be a stranger, Dear," Rarity said, walking up and retrieving a hug from Nightline.

"I won't," he replied. "I'll be back as soon as I can, and I won't miss a single holiday."

"You'd better not," Aria chimed in, before walking with Nightline towards the chariot, leaving Iris behind.

The stallion and his mother stopped behind what would be Nightline's transportation and exchanged a final hug before she backed off and allowed room for Nightline's new special somepony to approach once more. They also hugged briefly, before breaking apart and staring into each other's eyes.

"Remember what I told you," she said.

"I'll never forget."

With a smile, Iris took a step back, leaving Nightline room to look around at all who had gathered to say goodbye. Though his heart was full of joy, he still felt sadness as he scanned the small crowd of ponies. Seeing this, Iris let her voice be heard in song.

 _Why are your eyes so sad?_

All placed their eyes on her.

 _Is it really that far?_

 _It's only a few tens of miles,_

 _but you act like it's worlds apart._

 _Pick your heart up off the ground._

 _Hold your chin up and set your spirit free._

 _And when the time is right,_

 _you'll find your way home to me…_

With watering eyes, Nightline rushed to her and wrapped her in a powerful hug. It lasted for multiple minutes, and yet not long enough for him before they broke. Reluctantly, the stallion boarded the chariot. Almost on que of it moving, a speck of crystalline cold landed on his snout. Looking up, Nightline saw that the first snow of Winter had begun. It was poetic timing. As they took to the air, he looked back at the group of ponies who had yet to disperse. He knew they wouldn't until he faded from view. Staring at them, his heart continued the melody which Iris had begun.

 _I was ready to let go._

 _I was prepared to say "ado."_

 _I was off to face Equestria,_

 _I was off, to start anew._

 _Why now should I know love?_

 _Now my spirit splits in two._

 _You tore into my lonesome heart,_

 _my pain is now increasing._

 _To know that you are finally mine,_

 _and know that now I'm leaving._

 _But I will hold my chin up high,_

 _You know that I'll be true._

 _And know whatever path I take_

 _will lead me back to you._

 _I'll find my place in Canterlot,_

 _at Princess Luna's side._

 _I'll serve this land, I'll keep the peace,_

 _I'll have you glow with pride._

 _You tore into my lonesome heart,_

 _my pain is now increasing._

 _To know that you are finally mine,_

 _and know that now I'm leaving._

 _But I will hold my chin up high,_

 _You know that I'll be true._

 _And know whatever path I take_

 _will lead me back to you..._

 _...and know whatever path I take_

 _will lead me back to you._

 **Leave me a review! Give me some constructive criticism!**


	10. Eyes, Black as Night

**Back again! This chapter is really important, so you best remember everything about it!**

Chapter 10

By the the time the sun rose to stir Nightline from his slumber, he had already unpacked and made his bedroom in Castle Canterlot home. That morning, he woke with only a small amount of sadness left in him. Though he constantly thought of Iris, he also knew that he had a great deal of influential work to do. He was going to change Equestria for the better, and make all of his loved ones proud. With these goals in mind, he was able to walk to Breakfast with his chin held high.

"Good morning," he greeted the Princesses as he trotted into the dining room.

"To you as well, Wordsmith," Luna replied happily, though she looked tired.

Celestia also smiled and asked, "are you settling in alright?"

"Just fine. You know, the room you've given me is pretty big; are you sure it's alright for me to take it? I would be fine with a normal size."

Luna couldn't help but giggle, while Celestia replied, "Well, that's actually one of the smaller staff rooms."

"You're kidding," Nightline said, wide-eyed.

Both Princesses laughed at his expression. As they did, their breakfast was brought out to them. It was simpler that morning than usual; stacks of nicely browned toast surrounded by various jams and jellies. The three began eating immediately. As they ate, no words were exchanged. It seemed to Nightline that both were eager to get to the day's activities, or in Luna's case, to get to sleep. Nightline's focus was on heading into town to fulfil his promise of visiting the orphanage. When the remainder of the toast was devoured, all three stood and made their way out into the hallway adjacent to the main atrium. Nightline walked beside Luna, who was between him and the sun princess.

"Anything interesting planned for today, Princess Celestia?" He asked, smiling up at her in hopes of making some conversation.

"Oh, nothing really. I have some planning for the Gala to attend to, and I've been receiving some interesting letters from Apple-Loosa, but nothing else."

"Interesting?" Inquired Luna.

"Well, apparently they've been having some trouble settling in the territory there. A herd of native buffalo have been causing trouble," she replied.

"That seems a little below a Princess's paygrade," Nightline mumbled to himself curiously.

"My thoughts exactly, Nightline," Celestia replied, evidently having heard his mumbling, "which is why I thought it would be a good first job for you. When you're ready, preferably no longer than three or four days from now, I would send you there to see if you can negotiate a truce between the Buffalo and Apple-Loosens."

The stallion was struck silent. He hadn't expected an assignment so soon. And yet, though surprised, he also felt excited. He was more than ready to make a difference somewhere.

"I'll leave sooner rather than later. Tomorrow evening will be plenty of time to get ready," Nightline finally said, causing a pleased smile to form on Celestia's face.

"I'll have a chariot ready for your departure. Well, if that's all, I think I'll go speak with the planners now. Sleep well, Luna."

With little more than a nod, Princess Celestia vanished through one of the many doorways in the Hall, leaving Nightline and the Moon Princess to begin the trek towards the bedrooms. When the two settled into Luna's room, Nightline prepared to sing his favored Princess to sleep. And so he did.

"Be stilled by my each silky tone," he concluded the lullaby, leaving Luna sleeping like a Filly.

Smiling, Nightline stood and exited the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Without wasting another moment of daylight, he began a steady jog through the halls of the castle, making his way to his room to fetch his bag before moving to the exit of the castle. He bid the guards a quick farewell before breaking into a run straight for the town. He knew that since he was leaving tomorrow, he needed to make a stop by the orphanage today before the doughnut shop closed. It didn't take him long to enter the shop, which was busier than the first day he'd been in there.

"Nightline!" A deep and cheerful voice shouted from behind the counter.

The stallion looked to find Pony Joe wiping a bowl dry after apparently washing it. He quickly approached the counter, smiling all the while.

"Hey, Joe. Has your delivery boy been by already, or is there a way I could bring in the donation today?"

"Dave? Yeah, he just left a few minutes ago," he answered, glancing to the back room which was blocked from view by a door.

Nightline felt himself tense up. Though it wasn't much, he did feel angry that he was only a few minutes late.

"But listen," Joe suddenly said, "He ended up forgetting one of the boxes on his way out. The kids are gonna be a dozen short, but if you think you can catch up to him, then it's on the counter through that door."

"I'll do my best," Nightline said joyfully, not hesitating to go back and retrieve the leftover box. Only moments later, the white stallion emerged with a floating box engulfed in a silver aura. With no words, he ran out the door and rushed in the direction of the orphanage.

Only a few minutes and four blocks later did Nightline turn the corner to see that approaching the front of the desired location was a tan earth Pony with a brown mane carrying a few boxes of doughnuts on his back. Nightline noticed that he was wearing a nice crimson jacket, the same style as you would expect from a Canterlot resident.

"Dave!" Nightline called out, speeding up when the pony in question stopped to glance back. He went wide-eyed when he noticed the extra box of doughnuts being pulled along with the approaching stallion.

"Sweet Celestia," he said under his breath, just before Nightline arrived at his side, standing nearly a full head taller, "thank you so much! I didn't even realize I'd forgotten one!"

"Not a problem. So, you're the normal delivery boy?" Nightline asked, beginning the walk by the Earth Pony's side.

"Yeah. Normally I work at the Canterlot Box Theater, but after I met some of the kids at the orphanage, Pony Joe and I worked out an arrangement to bring them some doughnuts every day. There isn't much funding for food and other needed things there, so by bringing them breakfast, they can buy other things instead."

"Well, it's great that you decided to do that. I got to deliver in your place a week or so ago," Nightline said, earning a surprised, yet pleased look from Dave.

"Really? Great kids, huh?"

"Without a doubt. It's a shame they live the life they do. I wasn't able to juggle or anything like you do, but they enjoyed the stories I told them. I promised I'd come back every time I was in Canterlot, which so happens to be today."

"Oh yeah? You must visit often. You got family up here?" Dave asked, glancing over at the larger horse.

"Actually, I live here. But my work takes me away; so far, I've spend a grand total of four days in Canterlot."

The earth Pony eyeballed Nightline curiously, as if a question had risen in his brain. This question was soon vocalized, "I didn't catch your name?"

"Wordsmith. Nightline Wordsmith," he replied.

The moment Nightline spoke his full name, Dave tripped over his own hooves and tumbled to the ground. Nightline was quick to save the doughnuts using his magic. Only a moment later, Dave popped back up like a spring toy and glued his eyes to the confused and laughing stallion before him. He quickly spoke, dragging his eyes up and down Nightline's form as if he were admiring a god.

"THE Nightline Wordsmith? Servant of the Princesses of Equestria Wordsmith?Personal friend of Princess Luna Wordsmith? Wielder of the magic of voice Wordsmith?"

"Yes, but with only about half the hype," Nightline replied, amused with the fanboy reaction he was receiving.

"Are you kidding? You're a legend in the world of theatrical entertainment! What we put on stage, you can make into reality. What we slave over for months to make funny, you can do in moments just by saying it is!"

When Dave had finished his rant of admiration, Nightline motioned for them to continue walking, saying, "I'm not sure about all that. I tell stories, but I can only project the emotion in the words. I can't just say 'shoebox' and make someone laugh."

"You're too modest," he replied as they approached the entrance of the Orphanage, "I've heard the stories about you. Earning your Cutie Mark by befriending a Princess, turning stories into live experiences, scoring a job as a primary staff member in the castle. You're amazing!"

"Those stories must leave out a few details. Like when I confused a Carriage for a chariot and chased it plum into the Everfree Forest."

The two stopped before the doorway, which Nightline opened for Dave to enter first.

"You didn't," The colt said in disbelief.

"I most certainly did, and it led to quite the comical entrance to Castle Canterlot the next morning."

"I'll bet it did!"

The two said nothing more before entering the desired building. Dave didn't even stop to talk to The colt behind the front counter. Instead, he turned and walked straight towards the area where the children had been on Nightline's previous visit. The stallion followed his example and simply kept walking.

"If the kids ask, I'll tell you that story," he said.

"Dave!" A collection of tiny voices shouted as the colt entered, causing both him and Nightline to smile.

"Hey everyone! We've got a special guest toda-"

"Nightline!" A bunch more voices exclaimed when he came into view.

One little red Filly, who Nightline recognized as the little Pegasus who had asked him to adopt her, rushed up and reared back to place her front hooves on his chest for balance, looking up gleefully at his face, "you got taller!"

Nightline couldn't help but laugh. "Well, that among other changes, yes. Here," he replied, before hovering the doughnut boxes into the room and presenting the pastries to the children.

The moment the boxes touched the ground, they were mobbed by hungry hooves. The Filly using Nightline as a balancing post, however, didn't move. Instead, she stayed staring up at Nightline with a glaze in her eyes. Seeing that many of the doughnuts were nearly gone, the Stallion grabbed one with his magic and moved it to beside the Filly's face. She noticed it immediately and grabbed the treat with sweet a smile; a smile which Nightline returned. She then rejoined her friends.

"Seems Cherry Blossom is your new best friend," Dave joked.

"Is that her name? Celestia, that Filly just about broke my heart when I was here before," Nightline replied quietly, smiling, "after telling them how I got my Cutie Mark, she asked me to adopt her. It was so sweet, but it was torture to say that I couldn't."

The colt made no comments. He only shared a pained expression on his face, evidently being able to imagine what that would've felt like.

"Dave, are you gonna juggle?" A foal asked through stuffed cheeks.

"Well, I was actually gonna teach you guys a fun dance," he replied with a cheerful voice, "but now that Nightline Wordsmith is here, I really want to see what his magic can do!"

"Oooh, tell us again how you got your Cutie Mark!" One child asked.

"No, tell us about the two kingdoms!" Another argued.

Many more voices began shouting about which story they wanted to hear again, until Nightline himself finally chimed in, silencing them all, "Listen, I'll tell you a few stories today, but on our way here, I was talking to Dave and he wanted to hear about my journey to Canterlot the first time I came here."

Though some voices were disappointed, most of them were satisfied or even pleased with the story selected. When all were seated and ready to listen, Nightline began his story, and his horn began its silver glow.

This time around, Nightline didn't want to emphasize the fear and desperation he felt at the time of his seeming missed transportation, but rather the humor in his mistake and every struggle which followed. So as he told the story, he did just that. He put in as much detail as he could as to what he imagined the Pegasi sent to retrieve him had been doing while he was in the Everfree Forest, and made his own banter extra comical as he pounded his forehead into a tree out of frustration. Before long, Nightline had reached the end of his story.

"At first, the entire ordeal was hard and scary for me. But looking back on it, the whole thing was just one funny misunderstanding," he concluded, ending his spell.

The entire room full of children erupted with laughter. It seemed Nightline's attempt to make his story funny was completely successful. Nightline and Dave were the only two not trapped in giddy noises, Nightline for the fact that he was not affected by his own spell, and Dave because he was too busy being amazed by what he had just witnessed. Suddenly, all the laughter ended when a young Foal once again shouted his preference for the next story. His suggestion was followed by an onslaught of requests from the remainder of the young audience, causing Nightline to chuckle.

"Alright, already," he shouted, causing the room to go silent, "give me a minute to tally the votes-"

"Do you have any new stories?" The red Pegasus Nightline now knew as Cherry Blossom asked. She was immediately backed up by multiple others.

After a moment of thinking, Nightline remembered back to the napping dragon and decided it was story enough to tell, and replied, "I do have one. It's about a Dragon, and one brave Pegasus who saved Equestria from its smoke. Would you like to hear that one?"

"Yeah!" All of the children shouted in unison.

"Alright, well listen close. This all happened a few days ago." Nightline's Spell began once more. "Before coming back to Canterlot, I was in Ponyville. The morning was crisp, and quiet. I could hear faintly the chirping of a few birds who had yet to fly south for the winter. That morning, I had gone down to join my parents for breakfast, when we all noticed a smell. Thick and rancid in the air, worse than anything we'd smelled before. I went outside to investigate, and that's when I saw the smoke…"

Nightline went on to tell them in as much detail as possible about everything he had done. From seeking out Twilight Sparkle, to waiting by the entrance of town. He went into extra detail about his time spent with Iris, though leaving out the first kiss she had placed on his cheek, and continued with the action-packed race towards the mountain. As he had done with the ponies of Ponyville, Nightline left out Fluttershy's initial doubts and instead went straight to the top of the mountain, where after a great struggle, Fluttershy used her talent to make the dragon leave, saving her friends and Equestria. As these details played out before the children's eyes, they cheered. Though the story had ended there when he had previously told it, Nightline felt strangely compelled to continue. And so, giving in to his instincts, the stallion went on to tell of the work involving the cleanup.

"If you had come to me two weeks ago asking me to gather up clouds of smoke with my magic, I would've told you you were crazy. But after I got bigger, my magic got stronger. Of course, some of those Pegasi were getting rid of those clouds faster than I could make them. I was impressed that it only took us a day to finish the cleanup."

After Nightline finished telling about the activities of cleaning up the smoke, he was sure that the story would've been over. However, his magic drove on, as did his voice. He went on to tell of the next day, straying completely from anything to do with the dragon or Fluttershy and instead telling of his preparations to leave for Canterlot. At this point, the story changed. No longer did it tell of action, bravery, and conquering monsters. In place of those, the atmosphere turned to sadness. With every word he spoke, Nightline felt his own heart grow heavier.

"The knowledge that I was only a few hours from telling my parents a final goodbye before leaving beat my spirit further down with every second. Though I was ready to move forward and do my best for Equestria, the sacrifice was no less painful. When the time finally came, I was so happy to see that everyone I cared for had gathered to say goodbye. My friends. My family. Iris…"

Suddenly, there was no story at all. Nightline spoke no more words; he only saw in his mind pictures of his chosen love, and as he did, his eyes turned from grey to completely black. Those same pictures floated before the eyes of every Filly and Foal in the room. Dave too fell victim to the spell being cast. But none of them felt Nightline's love for the Pegasus they were seeing. None of them felt any of the warmth or joy he felt around her. Instead, all they felt was the pain of leaving her behind. Each pony caught in the spell began to cry and sob as their spirits broke. These sounds broke Nightline out of his trance, and he saw what he had been doing. His eyes returned to their normal color. Immediately, he changed the atmosphere again, this time to hope and contentment.

"But I made Iris a promise, you see. I told her that I wasn't going to be sad. That I would make Equestria better for her and everyone in it. And one day, my path will lead me back to where I can hold her again. So that's what I'm going to do."

Much to Nightline's relief, he had managed to rectify his mistake. Not one of the ponies listening felt any more sadness. It seemed to Nightline that none even seemed to recall what he had done; not even Dave mentioned it. The Unicorn quickly retracted his spell and allowed everypony to return to reality. Before anyone could say anything, Nightline stood and smiled.

"Alright, everyone, it's about time for me to go. I'm going to Apple-Loosa tomorrow, but I'll visit as soon as I get back," he said.

As he moved towards the door, he heard a few children say their goodbyes before he was out of earshot. With nothing else to do in town, Nightline decided to just head back to the castle.

"Luna is bound to be up by now," he thought to himself.

As he walked, he contemplated his magical mishap from earlier. His spell had never taken a turn like that before; however, he had never told of such a painful experience before either, so he assumed the emotion of that particular chain of events was too great for him to tell of so soon after gaining his magical strength. This was a satisfying enough conclusion, and so Nightline thought no more of what had happened. Instead, he started thinking about how he would approach his first mission. As he contemplated his future actions, he became relatively unaware of how close to the castle gates he was. As he came upon the entrance, a large and commanding voice broke his concentration and froze him where he stood.

"Who goes there?"

The voice was that of a stallion. His tone reminded Nightline of the castle guards, however the voice was one the Unicorn didn't recognize. Suddenly, seemingly from out of the shadows, another sterling white unicorn emerged. This one was draped in royal armor with purple accents, and had a muscle structure far beyond that of Nightline.

"Nightline Wordsmith," he replied, curiously eyeing the stallion before him.

"Oh, the new guy," the guard said, changing his posture to one more friendly, "we haven't had the chance to meet. I'm Shining Armor, captain of the Castle Guard. It's a pleasure."

"likewise," Nightline replied. His attention was suddenly drawn to the Stallions flank, however, as he noticed that his Cutie Mark was oddly familiar. It was a shield, like you would expect a knight to carry, with three stars on the front. One purple, one white, and one black. Nightline had seen that star pattern before, on another pony. Twilight Sparkle. "Nice Cutie Mark."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's pretty cool. The coolest thing about it is that my little sis got almost a matching design-"

"Twilight Sparkle," Nightline interrupted, confirming his suspicion.

Shining Armor looked confused, "Yeah, how did you-"

"I used to live in Ponyville. I met her when she moved down there," he explained.

"I see. Well, I've gotta get back to my patrol. I'll be seeing you around, Night."

Before Nightline could reply, Shining Armor vanished around a corner. He still chuckled, however, at the stallion's juvenile abbreviation of his name. Without waiting any longer, he entered the castle and went in search of Princess Luna with a smile on his face. Though the day had been strange, Nightline felt as though he was beginning to settle in to his new life. Things were beginning to look bright.

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	11. An Appaloosen Adventure

**You were all so nice in your reviews! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story. This chapter had a hiccup on the first update, but it's all good now! Hope you all enjoy the story, not the computer coding.**

Chapter 11

The following day, Nightline Wordsmith departed to Appaloosa. Though travel by Pegasus was quick and efficient, the early Stallion soon discovered just how large his beloved land of Equestria truly was. Having departed at Dusk, it took the Pegasi and their passenger until the next morning was well underway before they had finally landed in the small developing town where Nightline would complete his first task. The town itself was rustic, and placed in the middle of a more or less barren desert. To the east of the town, only a few hundred meter away, was a large apple orchard. How they had managed to get the trees to grow on such land was beyond the Unicorn.

When the chariot touched ground in the center of town, many ponies froze, stopping whatever business they had been attending and staring at the stallion who had arrived on a royal transport and who bared the insignia of Canterlot on his bags. After a few minutes of waiting while the townsponies looked on, a brown colt in a blue vest finally came forward. He wore a silver badge on his chest, and had a mustache the same dark brown as his mane.

"Good mornin' Friend," he greeted, approaching cautiously.

Wanting to be the proper length away before speaking, Nightline closed the last of the distance and said, "to you as well."

As he approached, the surrounding ponies seemed to grow nervous. Only then did it occur to the stallion that he was being viewed not as another pony, but as royalty; just as the Princesses told him he would be. Suddenly wanting to play the part he had chosen, Nightline stopped before the badge-bearing colt and bowed cordially. At first, the colt in question didn't seem to know of the custom, making Nightline think he had made a mistake. The brown horse had similar feelings, however, and believing the white stallion before him to have a better knowledge of things than he, bowed as well.

When they stood again, Nightline was the first to speak, declaring powerfully, "I am Nightline Wordsmith, Servant of the Princesses of Equestria. I have been sent here to help settle a dispute with a native Buffalo tribe."

Hearing these words, the Pony before him perked up and seemed to relax. "Oh, what a relief. I'm Sheriff Silverstar. Nowadays, I'm in charge'a this here town."

"Glad to meet you. If you don't mind, I'd like to get started right away."

"Oh, not at all. We oughta talk in my office; I'll fill you in on this whole conundrum."

As the remainder of Appaloosa looked on, Sheriff Silverstar led Nightline to a building which Nightline identified as the Sheriff's office. It was a modest size, as would be expected from a town still in development. Before any time could be wasted, the two went inside and found seats on either side of the desk which served as the room's only piece of furniture. When they were comfortable, the brown colt began.

"Now, a few months ago, we settler ponies came here in hopes that we could turn this barren plot uh' land into another piece of equestrian society. And I'd say that in only those few months, we've done a mighty fine job. But a few weeks ago, a stampede uh' native Buffalo came down from them there mountains and threatened to destroy our orchard," he explained, motioning to a mountain range visible from the window behind him.

"Alright. Did you try asking them to find a path around?" Nightline asked.

"That ah' did. I went up myself and tried to redirect them, but their chief led them off in a huff. Now, every week or so, they come back madder'n a Fillydelphian with poor room service. Every time we try to care for our crop, they come around causing trouble, an' they won't listen to anything we've got to say."

"Do you know why they're so angry?"

"No reason at all," he answered immediately.

"That sounds unlikely-"

"No!" The sheriff interrupted, "Now ah' know where yer head's at, but they ain't like us. They ain't sensible like us civilized folk. They ain't got no reason."

Seeing as Sherriff Silverstar was determined that his conclusion was the right one, Nightline decided to concede to it for the time being.

"I'll have to take a little bit to think about what to do. If what you say is true, they also won't be ruled by our Princesses. I'll need another angle to go about this."

"Thank you kindly fer' understandin' our problems. Ah don't mean to press you er' nothin', but how long do ya think you'll need to figure?"

Nightline sighed, feeling the urgency in the Sheriff's voice. "Give me a few at most. If I haven't come up with a solution by then, then I'll face the Buffalo myself."

That time passed quickly for the Stallion. He spent most of the first two hours walking around and observing the Appaloosan's daily routine. Scanning their activities, Nightline searched for anything they could've been doing to upset the Buffalo Tribe, but found nothing that should've had that result. As the second hour came close to its end, the Wordsmith sighed and walked out towards the apple orchard. He sat on the edge of the rustic settlement, staring out at the ocean of trees which painted the mildly cold winter desert. As he contemplated the situation, Nightline began to wonder if the Buffalo had no reason after all. After only a few minutes of staring at the orchard before him, a sudden Colt's voice broke the silence.

"So, yer the one who came from up high?"

Nightline turned to see that it was a yellow pony with a light brown mane. He had a Cutie Mark in the shape of an apple and wore both a leather vest and a cowboy-style hat.

"Excuse me?" Nightline asked, confused by the colt's question.

"From Canterlot, ah' mean," he clarified.

"Oh, yeah."

With a friendly smile, the Pony sat beside Nightline. He didn't waste a single moment before striking up a conversation.

"I'm Braeburn. I'm one of the head farmers here in Appleloosa," The colt said, introducing himself.

"Nightline Wordsmith," he replied, returning the introduction.

"Nice to make your acquaintance. So, Canterlot, huh? Nice place. Ah go up every now and again to cheer on my cousin in a rodeo contest. She wins every year," Braeburn said, beginning to ramble.

The details given by the Appaloosan pony caught Nightline's attention, as he knew of only one pony who won the Canterlot Rodeo at an annual rate.

"Applejack?" Nightline asked, cocking his brow at the pony in his company.

"Ya know her?" Braeburn asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I used to live in her hometown. Headstrong And sometimes stubborn, but honest and true. She's a great pony," he replied.

Braeburn laughed and said, "yup, that's my AJ." After a brief pause, the colt suddenly changed the subject, saying, "So, what do ya suppose we oughta do about them Buffalo?"

Nightline chuckled, thinking that he should've known the true intent of this idle conversation. "I'm really not sure. I may have to intercede myself, if the Buffalo refuse to see reason."

"So, Sheriff Silverstar got you believing that hokum? They ain't what he says they is, you know. They gotta have a reason; least I think so. Just because we cain't see it don't me it don't exist."

Braeburn's words ran deep to the early Stallion. He eyeballed the colt with astonishment, and thought long and hard on what he had said. Suddenly, the voice of a third pony called out in a warning which carried across all of Appaloosa.

"They're back! They're headed fer the orchard!" It cried.

Nightline's eyes immediately jumped to the expanse of desert surrounding the orchard. Sure enough, peeking over a hill to the right of his view was a group of Buffalo seven strong in a full-throttle charge for the apple orchard. Behind them, a cloud of tan dust was left floating and churning in the air. As they charged, many of the Appaloosans rallied and made way for the orchard as well, bent backwards on protecting their supply of food. Seeing the conflict approaching, Nightline acted desperately.

"Braeburn, listen carefully!"

The Mock-Militia made by the Appaloosans formed some semblance of a blockade in front of the orchard as the buffalo closed in. The native race had their faces painted with anger. At the front of the group of seven were two who led the charge without apposition. One was slightly larger than the rest, as well as a darker color. The other seemed only a fraction of their size, and noticeably female. As the distance between them and the orchard closed, the wall of ponies before the Buffalo with equally enraged expressions clued them in that they would need to fight. However, when they came within one hundred yards of the orchard, they noticed the wall of ponies seemed to change. The Appaloosans all glanced backwards, and their faces changed to almost emotionless expressions. The wall of ponies split down the middle, and all turned to bow as an alabaster unicorn bearing the crest of pony royalty emerged. He carried himself with confidence, and did not waver even as the Buffalo drew seemingly too close to stop in time. However, with forcefully planted Hooves, the entire stampede came to a stop mere inches before the ponies, leaving more dust to fly past. As the dust settled, Nightline Wordsmith found himself face to face with the larger leader of the stampede.

With eyes full of fury, the Buffalo huffed in Nightline's face and spoke forcefully, "who are you?"

"I am Nightline Wordsmith, servant of the Princesses of Equestria," he answered with almost equal power in his voice, "and who might you be?"

"Thunderhooves, Chief of the Buffalo tribe. If you are royalty to these invaders, then you will order them to remove their heinous fauna from this land."

Sheriff Silverstar's voice responded before Nightline had the chance, saying angrily, "he'll do nothin' of the sort. He's come to tell ya'll to leave our orchard alone!"

Those words seemed to only anger the Buffalo. What was for a few brief moments a calm exchanged immediately turned to angry shouting. Nightline attempted repeatedly to intervene, but his own voice went unregistered. He did notice, however, that Braeburn and the smaller Buffalo both looked rather concerned about the situation, unlike their counterparts who all looked angry.

"If these trees are not removed by you, then we will tear them to the ground and flatten their remains!" Thunderhooves shouted.

"Hold on a-"

"You try that all you want, but we'll see you banished from Equestria before that happenstance comes to pass!" Silverstar retorted.

"Would you just-"

"You are invaders and have no right!"

"Yer the ones with no right!"

As Nightline's frustration peaked, he decided it was time to act. Clearly the Buffalo were not the only non sensible people in the entire endeavor. With an angry sneer, Nightline's horn began its silvery glow and his voice boomed, echoing across the barren land.

"Enough!"

Every shouting voice fell silent. None were affected emotionally by his magic, but all, even Chief Thunderhooves, felt his immediate superiority in the situation. It was a position the Unicorn had never been in, yet one he didn't at the time even register. His spell soon ended, and with glaring eyes, he scanned both the group of Ponies and the group of Buffalo, contemplating his next sentence as well as his next action. Nightline's eyes quickly fell upon Braeburn and the smaller Buffalo, who both looked fearful upon being caught in his gaze.

"Braeburn," he said forcefully, and pointed to the selected Buffalo, "And you, come with me. For the rest of you: all altercations here will stop until I return. Not a single word will be uttered between buffalo and pony."

When his orders had been given, Nightline led his selected subjects towards the hill which the buffalo had come from. He stopped at the base and turned to face the smaller Buffalo first, who stood much shorter than he.

"Forgive my tone of voice; I don't mean to imply a Pony's rule over Buffalo," he said softly, surprising her.

She nodded, accepting the apology, and said, "it was necessary to silence us all. Forgive my father for his hotheaded nature. I'm Little Strongheart, heir to the title of Chief over the Buffalo Tribe."

"I would like to apologize as well," Braeburn chimed in, "on the Sheriff's behalf. He certainly did his part in starting all that guff."

Nightline was pleased to see that a sensible conversation could be held between the two races. Smiling, he said, "It's clear to me now that, though I was called here to end the Buffalo's assault on Appaloosa, both Ponies and Buffalo are doing their fair share in this conflict. Neither of your leaders came close to having a mature conversation, and instead, both tried to exploit the Hooves of Canterlot to do their whim. That is unacceptable behavior."

Both nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry it came to this, Prince Wordsmith," Little Strongheart replied, bowing her head.

Had Nightline been drinking anything, he was certain that moment would've been one to remember. "I'm not a prince," he stated, smiling at the misunderstanding. "Just a servant of the Princesses."

"Well, either way, this conflict was started by my people. You see, we stampede through these lands every year, but can't so long as those trees remain. But instead of approaching the situation calmly, my father was quick to anger."

"Sheriff Silverstar wasn't helpful either," Braeburn countered, "He thoughtlessly labeled ya'll as savages and made sure the entire town hated ya."

Before any more words of accepted blame could be spoken, Nightline cut in, saying, "I believe there is a middle ground in all of this, and I think you two will agree when I say that your leaders aren't going to find it alone. You two, however, seem to have a different understanding of things now. If I leave it to you, could you ensure that Sheriff Silverstar And Chief Thunderhooves negotiate to find that middle ground?"

The two said nothing; instead, they nodded to show their silent acceptance of the roles given to them. Smiling, Nightline also nodded his recognition before turning and leading the two back to the main groups beside the orchard. The desert around them glowed as the sunset cascaded golden light over its barren ground. It was almost poetic to the stallion as he made way to solve the problem he had set out to solve. All standing before the orchard, Pony and Buffalo alike, stood at attention when the three returned. Nightline once again began to carry himself tall, and when he spoke, he spoke with power.

"Sheriff Silverstar, Chief Thunderhooves, I find that neither of you have acted sensibly in this endeavor." The two looked appalled by his words. "Furthermore, it has become abundantly clear that neither of you are fully capable of finding a reasonable solution to this problem. So hear me now: you two will speak, you will negotiate, and you will end this conflict with a compromise. The voices of reason between you will be backed by the voices of Braeburn and Little Strongheart."

Almost instantly, the two began to argue against Nightline's decision.

"But you can't…"

"I don't think…"

"This can't be the right…"

"We should reconsider…"

"My decision is final," Nightline interrupted their counters, "You two will come to an agreement you both like or a decision will come that neither do."

No further words were spoken against the Stallion, but neither leader looked happy with the turn of events. Nightline, however, couldn't have felt happier. In his eyes, he had succeeded in setting the townsponies and Buffalo on the path to peace. With defeat in their eyes, the two leaders exchanged a quick glance.

"Until next time, Sheriff," Chief Thunderhooves said. Only moments after, he led his group of Buffalo off and over the hill, out of sight. When the Buffalo left Sheriff Silverstar's visibility, he looked with narrow eyes at the young Wordsmith, who ignored his glare and instead nodded.

"Sheriff," he said in farewell, before turning and making way back towards the town. As night was falling, he intended to begin the journey back to Canterlot under the watchful eye of the moon. He assumed his Pegasi would be well rested and ready to begin the arduous journey.

"Now wait just a minute, there, sonny," the Sheriff's voice said as he intercepted Nightline. "I didn't write those letters to Princess Celestia to have ya turn around and tell me to make nice with the likes of them Buffalo!"

With a calm voice and tall demeanor, Nightline replied, "No, you wanted me to show up and punish an entire tribe of Buffalo because you let them get under your skin." His voice became stern. "And because you deemed them a lesser people than you, you thought we would ignore everything you've also done. But I'm gonna be dead honest when I say that you're wrong. They've just just as much reason in their heads as you, Silverstar."

"They attacked our source of food! We need that orchard to live on!"

"So you would see fit to put a crowd of settlers who look to you for guidance into a war?"

Silverstar fell silent, for he hadn't put any thought to such a consequence from his actions.

"There is another way to end this conflict. You are a leader now, Sheriff. It's about time you acted like it." Nightline's voice changed again, to one more sincere as he looked directly into the Sheriff's eyes. "You are a leader. Protect your people."

Before Silverstar could reply, Nightline moved around him and returned to the small building where his Pegasi had stopped. Much to his delight, they were already preparing the Chariot. He boarded the golden transport quickly, and within minutes, was in the air on a path for Canterlot. Sheriff Silverstar watched as he vanished on the darkening horizon, his eyes once again growing narrow with small amounts of anger.

"I will protect mah town," he said, "in every way ah see needed."

Nightline slept in the chariot for the majority of the journey back to Canterlot. He woke only a fraction of an hour before they arrived at the castle gates, where Princess Luna and Celestia were waiting to greet him. He approached with a smile on his face, and after exchanging their greetings, found his place beside Luna as they walked to the dining room for breakfast.

"So, was your excursion successful, Wordsmith?" Princess Luna asked, smiling down at the shorter stallion.

"You know, I would say the Appaloosans are going to be just fine."

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	12. Flutter in the Heart of the Moon

Chapter 12

With the success of his first mission bolstering his sacrifice, Nightline Wordsmith was quick to settle in to his new home in Canterlot. Not long after returning from Appaloosa, the Stallion was met with his first payment: a small cloth bag filled with nearly two hundred bits. Though he had expected high pay, this was beyond what he had imagined. As the days turned to months, Nightline went on other missions as well, sometimes only days apart and other times spread thinner than he would've liked, yet all met with equal or higher pay than his first mission. From Las Pegasus to Fillydelphia, the stallion traveled Equestria as a figure of royalty, and he soon found himself with more funding than he new what to do with. Most of it, he stored away; the rest, he used to buy his writing supplies and a few things for his winter wardrobe.

With every return from every mission, Nightline would be sure to pay a visit to the orphanage. Often times he would be accompanied by Dave, who eventually became his friend. Nightline also grew rather attached to the little red Pegasus known as Cherry Blossom. Any time he was at the orphanage, she would be glued to his side. She always offered the most adorable conversations, and admired the stallion beyond what he could comprehend. On the occasions where Nightline would be without a mission for multiple weeks, he would visit at least once every fortnight. And he would always tell them the stories which his travels created. However, none were as captivated as the little Cherry Blossom.

Nightline also held true to his promise to his friends and family from Ponyville, and with every holiday of the holiday season, returned there to visit. Though he enjoyed seeing his family, his true desire on every trip home was to see his beloved Iris Pinkberry. But, to both his joy and dismay, her career as an artist was taking off. She began receiving commissions from different sectors of Equestria, and so more and more often she would be unavailable to spend any real time with him. This was a rough bundle of hay to swallow for the stallion, but he dared not try to take away Iris' success. Nightline knew how much she loved her line of work, and seeing her succeed made him happy enough. He even played a part in spreading the word of her talent. Still, in all his joy for her success, he still missed seeing her. She was the most important pony in his life.

"Give her time," his mother, Aria would say. "Business will slow down, and she'll love you just the same." It didn't help him, however, and he often returned to Canterlot feeling that the hole in his heart had not been properly filled.

Nightline's life in Canterlot wasn't at all a bad one, though. He never had a lonely day. He and Princess Luna became close friends. He sang to her as often as he possibly could, so that she could enjoy the peaceful sleep which she brought to Equestria but couldn't bring to herself. And on the days where he had nothing to do, they would often wander the halls of Castle Canterlot together, talking about the different things they had encountered on their travels. After the first month, she even began teaching him a variety of spells and magical tricks which would aid him in the future. His magical prowess, though improved, still came nowhere close to that of one such as Twilight Sparkle.

On the off days where he wasn't working nor visiting the orphanage nor practicing magic, Nightline would sit in the castle library reading whatever entertaining books he could find. One such day came only a few weeks after he began his magical training, and it began like any other: with a yawn, a stretch, and breakfast with the Princesses. Conversation was scarce that morning, with only greetings being exchanged before the feast began. In the silence, the young Wordsmith was left to contemplate something which hadn't caught his eye before. Dining in the dining hall of Castle Canterlot every morning were only three ponies: Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Nightline himself. And surely Nightline wasn't the only Primary Staff Member, so why was he the only one to dine with the Princesses? He didn't wait to voice his curiosity.

"Why does nobody else eat with us?" He asked before filling his mouth with a slice of melon.

"How do you mean?" Luna inquired.

"Well, you two are Princesses. One would assume you'd either eat alone or with a specific group, yet I am the only one who joins you. I'm not the only Primary Staff Member, so why am I the only one who eats with you?"

To this inquiry, Celestia giggled. Her response confused both Nightline and Luna, for even Luna didn't understand why he was the only pony allowed to join them. After Celestia's giddy response was finished, she used a napkin to wipe her mouth before speaking.

"My student, Twilight Sparkle, had similar questions early in her training. You see, she was the only pony in the entire castle who was allowed to dine with me. That was not only because she was my student, but because she was a dear friend. And from the first day she heard your voice, my sister has had similar feelings of trust and friendship towards you. And seeing as you are our servant and now a friend to Luna as Twilight was to me, you dine with us as such."

Hearing her explanation, both Nightline and Princess Luna exchanged a glance, smiling warmly at one another. No more words were exchanged until the end of breakfast, when all three stood and followed their usual path down the hall adjacent to the main atrium. Before departing, Celestia let her counterparts know of her plans for the day, which were no more than planning for the nearing Grand Galloping Gala. When Celestia was gone, Nightline and Luna made way for Luna's bedroom, where she didn't hesitate in laying down and preparing for Nightline to sing his silky lullaby; and sing he did. When Luna was peacefully asleep, Nightline found himself also feeling drowsy. With no plans for the day, he decided it couldn't hurt to take a nap, and so he dozed off on the floor beside Luna's bed.

A few hours later, the Moon Princess woke (well rested) to the sound of a soft snoring. Seeking the source of the noise, she peered over the side of her bed to find a young blue-maned stallion sleeping the day away. She couldn't help but smile at the way he looked; so relaxed, and peaceful. Luna couldn't believe that the pony before her was the one pony who had done so much to change her life. The only stallion who cared enough for her to try, and with a heart big enough to succeed. These thoughts caused her deep blue cheeks to take on an even deeper blue blush, and as she felt them heat up, the Moon Princess quickly shook the thoughts from her head and forced the flutter from her heart. As she struggled with that process, the stallion on her floor began to stir from his slumber.

When Nightline finally woke from his nap, he blinked to adjust to the light in the room before glancing upwards to see Princess Luna, staring towards but not at him with a troubled expression. Her mind seemed elsewhere, as she was unaware of his awakening.

"Help you with something?" The stallion asked suddenly.

His spontaneous words came unexpectedly, and were more than enough to startle the lunar princess from her own mind. And not only was she startled from her mind, but startled from her bed as well. As she jumped from the sudden fright, her front half slipped beyond the point of no return on the edge of her mattress, leaving her no traction to catch herself before she fell straight down onto the pony responsible for giving her such a scare. The impact as Princess Luna landed atop him left Nightline laughing painfully beneath her. Luna felt no such amusement with the predicament at hand, as she had just fallen and crushed her Friend and servant in a rather embarrassing manor.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, Wordsmith," She sputtered out, propping herself up onto her front legs so that only the lower half of her weight remained on the grimacing stallion.

"Remind me never to break your train of thought again," Nightline strained to say, still laughing all the while.

At his comment, Princess Luna also became aware of the humor in the situation and in her friend's words. She too began laughing, and replied, "Don't ever break my train of thought again."

For a few straight minutes, the two remained in that position, unable to stop the onslaught of pained laughter which enveloped every fiber of their being. Princess Luna found the activity more strenuous than most, as it had been more than one thousand years since she had laughed so much. When they finally stopped, Luna stood and aided Nightline in doing the same, leaving him be for a moment as he brushed off his sweater.

"Let's agree not to do that again," he joked, motioning for them to leave the bedroom.

"Seconded," Luna replied, following suit as they began the trek down the many halls of the castle. "Have you any plans for today?"

"None to speak of. Maybe some reading in the library. I've found myself caught in the story of the Inheritance Cycle; a story of a war between dragons and the three races of Pony, and-"

"And one earth pony chosen to fight beside a dragon to bring peace. I've read the series. It's quite good," Luna interrupted, "Suffice to say I've read every book in that library. Hardly anything new ever comes in."

The words of his favored princess caught Nightline's attention. He found it easy to believe that the Canterlot library hardly received any new books, and even easier to believe an immortal Alicorn had read all within. But her inquiry of something new brought the Unicorn's sixth sense straight to his bedroom, where his story of the two kingdoms still lay dormant where he had stashed it his first day in Canterlot.

"Princess, would you wait for me in the Library's lounge? I'll be there in a moment."

Before Luna could even agree to Nightline's request, he was gone. He made the trip to his bedroom as quickly as possible, retrieving the stack of paper from the top drawer of his dresser before returning to the path towards the Library. By the time he had arrived, Luna was already relaxing on one of the many lounge pillows, and one of the castle workers had just finished delivering and serving her some tea. That worker bowed cordially before leaving the room. As she did, Luna spotted Nightline and smiled.

"I had some tea brought; I was feeling a little parched," she explained.

Nightline nodded in understanding before taking his place atop a pillow near the Moon Princess. She eyeballed him curiously as he arranged his papers, wondering what concoction of words he had summoned. She wasn't left to wonder for long, as the Wordsmith cleared his throat.

"This is a story I wrote after first earning my Cutie Mark. It is inspired by a drawing by a Pegasus I know in Ponyville."

With Luna's full attention, Nightline began reading as he always would: with the start of his spell. And the moment his spell took hold, a glazed look fell over the Princess's eyes. One which everypony of every race shared when in that position, and seeing it had become something of a comfort to the stallion. As the story progressed, it moved as it had countless times before. Two kingdoms unknown to each other, each struggling with something the other could provide. And so each sent out their Prince or Princess, the heir to their throne, to find some way to save their dying kingdoms. When the Prince and Princess met one another, it was the greatly sought after but found only in fiction "Love at First Sight." Their kingdoms would be saved by their unity, as would their hearts. When Nightline reached the point of the story where the evil witch appeared to corrupt the Prince, the look in Luna's eyes suddenly changed. As if she knew the character being played before her eyes, and knew her in a distasteful way. Nightline didn't initially address this, but soon, an aberration forced his hoof.

"I suppose we know who inspired the witch," Princess Luna said, surprising the stallion, for none had ever been able to speak to him while listening to his stories. Nightline's spell was brought to a halt, as was the story, as he began paying more attention to the emotions radiating from his dear friend. He knew immediately the pony whom the witch reminded her of.

"Nightmare Moon," he said grimly, causing Luna's eyes to lower. "I suppose she did, in a way," he added, surprising her as she perked up.

"What?"

"Well, The witch was inspired by the grief you felt and the beauty of your benevolence which Equestria was ignorant to. Those things which caused Nightmare Moon to appear were the things which formed this witch all the same, and are what she represents. You, Princess Luna, are more liken to the Prince, tricked and powerless to resist the witch."

Upon hearing his explanation, Luna once again began to blush. She couldn't ignore the fact that she felt the truth and the caring intention of every word he spoke, which rocked every fiber of her soul. To hide this, she smiled and laid her head down on the pillow on which she sat, closing her eyes all the same. When Nightline was satisfied that Luna was comforted, he ignited the silver glow of his horn and continued his story. He read through the corruption, and havoc of the evil Prince and Witch, and the rescue by the Princess who used love to win back his heart.

"'And my love,' he said, 'I shall never leave you behind,'" Nightline read, earning joyous tears from Luna. "The End." His spell ended.

"I suppose the Princess then was inspired by Twilight Sparkle, who freed me from Nightmare Moon?" Luna asked, raising her head from the pillow.

"You know, I didn't think of it that way," he replied, gathering up his papers. "Princess Twilight Sparkle. Unlikely, but an interesting thought."

They both spent a few moments laughing as Nightline continued to clean, and almost on cue of the cleanup's completion, Princess Celestia entered the library with partial if not total urgency. When she spotted to two ponies idly lounging, she sighed with relief.

"Luna, there you are!" she exclaimed, rushing over as her sister stood, followed by Nightline.

"What's the matter?" Luna asked, concerned by her sister's urgency.

"The day is late, as are we. The moon should already be out!"

Without wasting a single moment, and with a look of complete baffle, Luna led the charge out to the balcony of the castle's second floor. Nightline watched as Day turned to Night faster than had happened since before he was born. When the task was done, all three sat on the balcony fighting to catch their breath; the two Alicorns far more so than Nightline. When they finally had reprieved, Celestia looked far less than pleased with her sister. Her look alone brought much shame to Luna's heart, and caused her to lower her eyes.

"Luna, how could you be so reckless?" Celestia asked, her tone more angry than interrogative.

"I'm sorry, Sister, I...I don't know what-"

Before any more blame could be thrust upon Luna, Nightline's voice cut in, "It wasn't her fault." Though Nightline feared the consequences of taking such blame, he couldn't allow it to be falsely thrown upon princess Luna.

"What?" Celestia asked, her demeanor changing as she curiously eyed the stallion.

"Princess Luna isn't to blame. I was telling her a story and using my magic, and while under that spell, it was impossible for her to know how much time had passed. It was my responsibility, and I didn't even think to be watching the time."

Not only did Celestia seem conflicted, but Luna was also shocked. Shocked that a pony would take the blame for forgetting to raise the moon from her. With a contented sight, Celestia's composure returned almost to normal, however still slightly vexxed.

"Please, Nightline, use caution when using your magic like that. Know that the minutes and seconds of an Alicorn's days can not be used lightly."

Nightline bowed his head apologetically, before facing Luna once again and saying, "I'll be turning in for the night. Good luck tonight, Luna. Goodnight to the both of you."

With a quick farewell from both Princesses, Nightline was gone. Princess Luna kept her eyes, still wide, glued to the stallion as he vanished down the hallway. When he left sight, she still kept her eyes glued to the passageway, a distant glaze returning to them. Her look didn't go unnoticed by Celestia, who became concerned immediately.

"Be cautious, Sister, for I know the game you play."

Before Luna could reply to question her statement, Celestia was also gone, opting to fly off of the balcony and around the castle to her quarters. By the time she reached her room, Nightline was already in bed drifting off to sleep. His dream that night was swift and empty, as if he were walking in a colorless void alone. He was soon joined, however, via a glowing white portal by Princess Luna.

"I take it you weren't finished with me," Nightline said with a grin.

"Well, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your story," Luna replied.

"I'm glad."

"And also, your lesson on healing magic will be shortened tomorrow," she added.

"Why is that?" The stallion asked.

"Because tomorrow, we'll be publishing that book for all of Equestria to read."


	13. Prince Perseus Caticus of Canterlot

**So when I uploaded the last chapter, I wasn't expecting any reviews until the next day seeing as I uploaded it half past eleven. When I received a review not a half hour after uploading, I began to wonder if I haven't got a major lover of the story reading it right now. That same review was also quite funny, and very kind. It was funny, not because it told any jokes, but because it brought specific attention to the love pyramid happening between Luna, Nightline, and Iris. This reviewer then said, and I quote, "let it never be said that your story doesn't have any sub-plots." To this I had to laugh. Heh heh, you thought it was a sub plot…**

Chapter 13

The days following Luna's declaration were filled with grueling labor. As he lacked any spell to do it for him, Nightline was forced to copy his entire story word by word onto the proper paper which was sized for a real book. This process Nightline found was much less exhilarating than writing the story for the first time. Days and nights, hours on end he sat copying every word over. After four days, the task was finally complete, and after having a night of respite, Luna also taught the Wordsmith how to bind the pages magically to a pre-made Cover. This cover, brown and hardback, was plain. It had no writing, nor a picture or title. But before Nightline had time to question this, Princess Luna put his thoughts to rest.

"What will be the title of your story?" She asked.

Nightline thought hard on her question, for he had never actually given any thought to a title. One came swiftly, however, as he thought of the Witch in his story, and without hesitation, he replied, "The Witch of Sorrow's Fall."

Luna smiled, "It fits wonderfully."

Without warning, the Alicorn's horn began to glow, and from a drawer in the desk they were working on came floating various gold letters, which she promptly embedded in the cover of the book to form words which read:

 _The Witch of Sorrow's Fall, a Novel by Nightline Wordsmith_

When the task was complete, Nightline took the book and cradled it in his right foreleg, magically flipping through the pages and seeing the beauty of his creation. However, he also recognized that it wasn't his alone; Princess Luna aided him, as did Iris Pinkberry inspire him.

"Thank you, Princess," he said, the emotion in his words felt without magic.

"Not at all, my friend. Now, we can send it off to some workers in the town of Canterlot who will produce many copies to be sold and distributed."

And so they did. Within that same hour, Luna had the book packaged and sent off to a shop in the town. Nightline waited on endless days for the box of copies to arrive, and as each day passed, it seemed they never would. In his angst, he even forgot to visit the orphanage. He spent most of the days staring at the castle entrance, waiting for a knock which would never come. It was fate, it seemed, that the package the Wordsmith was awaiting would arrive in the dead of night over two weeks later. Nightline woke that morning with his usual yawn and stretch, but the sleep left his body of its own accord as his mind became alert: there was a large box sitting on the desk in his room. The stallion scrambled like a newborn out of bed on sight of it and rushed to the box. On top of the box was a note with only Nightline's name written. As he opened the box, the smell of leather and fresh paper filled his nose.

The sight was beautiful: Within the box were nine stacks of books, each ten strong, and on top of the center stack was the original copy. Nightline was careful to remove the original and place it in his top drawer. With excitement, the stallion ran from the room, carting two books behind him. He first left one in the Castle Library, then left Princess Luna her own personal copy. He then made way to the dining hall, where both Princesses were already waiting.

"By the look on your face, I assume your books arrived," said Celestia with a smile.

"They did, and I could be happier. Thank you, Princess Luna, for all of your help."

"Your welcome, Wordsmith. But you deserve such a reward for the work you put in," Luna replied.

"About that," Nightline trailed off, "I cant take all the credit for the book. It was inspired by a great many things, so I wanted to hand out some of the copies I have as gifts. I left one in the Castle Library, and I also left you a personal copy, Luna."

Both Princesses looked surprised, and Celestia replied, "Well, that's very generous of you."

"Yes, thank you," Luna added.

Nightline nodded. "I would also like to gift a copy to the Orphanage after breakfast. And if it's alright, I would take a few hours to visit Ponyville so I can give out a few more copies. The rest can be sold here in Canterlot, until more copies are needed."

"Well, I haven't any missions for you. Luna?" Celestia asked.

"Nor I. You should make your trip as brief as possible, however. Problems can arise unpredictably, these days."

"Of course. Thank you," Nightline replied.

He made Breakfast short, and after finishing, left hastily to prepare before leaving. His stop at the Orphanage was brief, much to the dismay of little Cherry Blossom, before he departed for Ponyville. His first stop was to visit his parents, who were ecstatic to see him upon his arrival.

"What are you doing here? It isn't a holiday," his mother said joyously.

"Well, Princess Luna helped me publish my story, so now I've got a bunch of copies of the book that I'm giving out as gifts. I wanted to leave one with you two," he replied, floating one of the copies from his saddlebags and laying it on the kitchen table before asking, "Is Iris around?"

Both his parents took on a solemn look, and Erit replied, "She's at an art convention in Las Pegasus."

Nightline immediately felt his spirit sink. It had been many months since he had been able to see his beloved Pegasus, and he began to wonder if she would ever be in his life again. Their romance had been so strong, yet much to brief.

"I understand," he said. "Well, it was great seeing you two; I need to drop off a book at Twilight's before I head home. Celestia let me come for a brief visit, and I really shouldn't keep her waiting."

After a quick farewell, Nightline left his parents to return to their day. His stop at the Ponyville Library wasn't any longer. The stallion wasn't close at all with Celestia's pupil, so only formalities were exchanged as Nightline dropped off the book. With a less-than-satisfied sigh, he began the walk back to where he had left the chariot. He was stopped halfway, however, as a familiar voice caught his attention. It was high pitched, yet soft and sounding in distress. Nightline turned to see Fluttershy running back and forth to different Ponyville residents on the street, seeming to be begging something of them but none would offer her any attention. Concerned, the stallion hastily approached.

"Oh, would you please...ok, nevermind. Ma'am! If you aren't busy, could you...oh, you are," Fluttershy continued to approach random ponies.

"Fluttershy?" Nightline said as he approached, grabbing her attention, "What's going on?"

"Nightline? Oh goodness, it's awful. A kitty that was staying with me had a litter. All the little kittens are so cute, and she's such a good mama to them. All but one of them anyways."

As Fluttershy explained, she reached back and from her pink mane, pulled out a blotted tabby ball of fur. It was a kitten, seeming to hide in fear within itself. As Fluttershy held it, Nightline could see it shake.

"This little boy was born with a really short tale. When the mother saw, she rejected him, and now she gets so mean whenever he comes close. I can't even bring him home now, but I can't just abandon the little guy. I don't know what to do, and nobody will help me."

Fluttershy's words were a side note in the Wordsmith's mind. He couldn't take his eyes off of the little ball of fur in her care. As he continued to look on, he also unknowingly grew closer to it, almost to the point where he was nuzzling its brown, black, and white coat. When the stallion grew close enough that the feline could sense his presence, it raised its head and looked directly at him. At first, it seemed unsure. Fluttershy didn't say a thing, and instead, looked on at what was playing out before her very eyes.

"Hey, little guy," Nightline said softly. "It's ok. You're ok."

The kitten's ears perked up on his words, as if he understood Nightline's meaning. With twitching white whiskers, the cat sniffed at his snout followed by letting out a feline chirping sound, almost sounding like an interrogative noise. "Puurrrr?"

"You're safe," Nightline repeated his comforting mantra.

Upon hearing his words, the cat made another similar noise, however this one sounding more certain, before standing from his position cradled in Fluttershys foreleg. Neither of the two ponies were ready for this action, nor were they ready for the cat to jump from his perch towards Nightline. The feline's legs weren't nearly strong enough to make the jump successfully, and so it fell almost all the way to the ground. Nightline was able to catch it, however, with his magic before levitating it back up to hover between the two of them. The little kitten seemed quite adamant, though, that he was going to move towards Nightline, not Fluttershy. Seeing this, Fluttershy took on a look of excitement.

"Nightline, would you take him?" she asked, looking hopefully into his eyes.

Nightline didn't see her looking at him. He was too focussed on the kitten. He quickly developed a little game, where he would move it wherever it tried to move itself. The kitten quickly directed itself towards his back, where he set it down and let it walk. The little thing seemed to enjoy his new walking space.

"I don't know; I've never had a pet before," he replied.

"Oh, but they're so easy to care for, and so nice to have around," Fluttershy argued.

Nightline didn't respond. He was too busy laughing as the kitten discovered the entrance to his saddlebags. It seemed to want to get inside, and Nightline hadn't the heart to deny the feline's curiosity. He opened the bag's lid and removed the last brought copy of his book so that the cat could fit, and fit it did. The cat vanished into the bag, and moments later popped its head out looking happy as could be. The sight was adorable. Nightline then also realized that the copy of his book which was now hovering in the air was still meant to belong to Iris, who wasn't around to receive it.

"I'll tell you what," he finally said, "I'll take care of this little Tabby, if in exchange, you give this to Iris when she gets home."

"Oh thank you!" Fluttershy exclaimed, rushing forwards to hug the unicorn before taking the book from him. She then moved to beside him so she could face the kitten. "Now Percy, you be good for Nightline. He's going to take care good care of you."

"His name is Percy?" Nightline asked.

"Yes. I named him that because of the noises he likes to make. You'll understand soon enough."

"Well, that name just won't do. If he lives with me, then he's royalty. As such, he needs a royal name," the stallion said, confusing Fluttershy. She wasn't left confused for long, as Nightline once again magically lifted the cat and hovered him before them. "From this day forward, your name will be Prince Perseus Caticus of Canterlot. Percy for short."

The kitten seemed to approve of the new title. With a smile, Nightline placed the newly named Percy on his back. The little bundle of fluff found a place inside the hood of his cardigan, and promptly curled up within.

"Thanks again, Nightline. I can't tell you how happy I am that the little fella will be safe," Fluttershy said.

"You know, I think this little guy will have made my entire trip worthwhile. And you promise to give that book to Iris when she gets back?"

"Definitely," she replied.

With a final farewell, Nightline began the walk back to his Chariot with Prince Perseus now sleeping soundly on his back. Neither of the Princesses had any objections to the new castle resident when he returned to Castle Canterlot.

 **So, the main arc of the story is here. Some see it, some don't, but be aware that very little character development remains to happen. If you plan on reading this story to completion, then make sure your eyes are keen. Next chapter will be longer, so it could be a few weeks before I update. I'll try to get done faster though! Leave me a review! And if you could tell, this chapter was mostly filler. Or was it? Teehee**


	14. Winter Wrap Up Part 1: The Dark Stallion

**This chapter came much sooner than expected! I couldn't stop writing. this one is a biggy!**

Chapter 14

"Today is a big day, Percy," Nightline said as he readied himself that morning.

"Puurrr?" Prince Perseus, now slightly bigger, replied.

"Oh, what day you ask?"

As he donned his hoodie, Nightline magically lifted the cat and placed him atop the bedroom desk.

"The day in question will be my first Winter Wrap Up in Canterlot!"

All across Equestria, ponies of every shape and size were waking up for the same day as Nightline. The last day of Winter, when everypony bands together to clean up all of the snow and ice and make way for Spring to return. In all his years living in Ponyville, his lack of magical talent was never a problem. Ponyville, like all the other towns and cities of Equestria, was founded by a single race of pony. In its case, Ponyville was founded by Earth Ponies, and so Ponyville's Winter Wrap Up was to be conducted without magic; the Earth Pony way. However, Canterlot was different. It was founded by Unicorn's, meaning that magic would be a main factor of clearing winter away.

"And that's why this year's Winter Wrap Up will be that much more magical," Nightline explained to Percy, who meowed understandingly. "Ok, I'm ready. Let's get to work." Nightline stopped at the door to his bedroom, however, when he noticed a small feline attempting to follow. "Whoa, there, P, you can't come. It'll be way too cold out there for you."

After setting Percy on the bed, Nightline exited the room and closed the door behind him. The castle workers made sure to keep Nightline's pet well cared for when he was away, so Nightline knew that he would be fine. With a sigh and a smile, the stallion made way for the kitchen. As usual, the Princesses were already there, waiting for his arrival.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Good morning, Nightline. I hope you're well rested," Celestia said.

"I most certainly am. Thank you for that, Luna," Nightline joked, causing both Princesses to laugh as they all began eating. "So," He continued, "What is it that you two do during the Winter Wrap Up?"

Celestia was the first to answer, saying, "Well, we help as everypony else does. But it is complicated, because during the day, I have other duties to uphold. So, for the few hours while my sister sleeps, I aid Canterlot's strongest magicians as they clear the compacted snow from the mountainside above and below the town."

"And when I wake," Luna cut in, "I take over those duties and allow my sister to continue hers. What about you, Wordsmith? What job would you take up?"

The stallion fell silent in thought. In previous years while he lived in Ponyville, Nightline was not strong magically or physically, so that left him the job of helping to slowly and quietly awaken the hibernating animals. However, the Unicorn was all but certain that the same jobs weren't available in his new home.

"What jobs are there?" He finally asked.

"Well, there are a few," Celestia explained. "The Pegasi living in Canterlot take up one of these, which you won't very well be able to do. And that is clearing away the clouds. They also aid in clearing rooftops of snow, but the unicorns also do their part in that. Beside that, the earth ponies clear snow from the roadways and move it towards the rivers outside of town, where the sun can melt it away at a safe rate. Besides those is only the job of our most powerful Unicorns, who use their magic to break apart the snow on the mountainside slowly and catch it so as not to bury the town."

When she was done laying out the jobs, Nightline felt that he was cornered to one. He wasn't a Pegasus, nor was he a powerful enough Unicorn to aid in clearing the mountainside.

"I think I can serve Canterlot best by helping clear the rooftops," Nightline finally answered.

"Wonderful," Luna replied, "I was afraid we would be short ponies to help in that sector. But with you there, all should work out splendidly."

When the three finished eating, they got straight to work. Princess Celestia was the first to arrive at her station, Nightline following a few minutes later after lulling Princess Luna into a peaceful sleep. The Unicorn, upon arriving at his own station, found himself surrounded by other Unicorns and Pegasi all listening to the words of one yellow Unicorn with a red mane giving directions.

"We had a lot of snowfall this winter, so that means we've got a lot to clear away. Everyone who has done this before, you know your jobs. Get to it! Stick around if you're a first timer," he barked, sending almost everypony on their way. Only a few remained, all save for Nightline being in their first adult years. "For the rest of you, you are mainly going to be observing today. Spread out around town, and watch the experienced ponies work."

Though the instruction seemed abhorrent to Nightline, the remainder of the first-timers seemed not only ok with the given orders, but more like they expected them. A norm for Canterlot, Nightline assumed. Shrugging off the cultural barrier, the stallion made way for his favorite part of town; a section which held Pony Joe's Doughnut Shop, the Filly and Foal Caretaker's Lodge, Sanctuary And Orphanage, and the Canterlot Box Theater. Unlike what the Unicorn giving orders had said, however, Nightline found that he was treated as if he'd been working in that job his entire life. It wasn't challenging, and the stallion was delighted to discover that as he cleared the snow from one roof, his friend Dave would be on the ground shoveling it into wheel barrels to be carted away. That, along with the ability to surprise the orphan children with snowballs every so often was an arrangement which pleased Nightline. The hours of work passed by quickly, with the Unicorn humming a familiar song the entire time.

"What's that?" Dave eventually asked.

At first, Nightline was confused, but he soon realized what his friend was referring to and chuckled, saying, "Oh, back in Ponyville, we had a song we would sing every year to make this work a bit more fun. We didn't use magic there, so it was a bit different."

"That is different. We don't sing very much, here. Songs get a bit too wild for this high society's taste," The colt replied, moving a full barrel away and replacing it with another.

"I can see that. It can get pretty wild; one thing fun music isn't is calm," Nightline agreed, but he heard no reply. Not from Dave, nor any other nearby workers. Confused, he turned from his place to find that everypony was looking in the direction of Castle Canterlot and bowing as if one of the Princesses were standing before them.

"Afternoon, Nightline," a familiar Alicorn's voice greeted from behind him.

The stallion turned to find Princess Luna standing before him, a bit of sweat on her brow but still smiling. "To you as well, Princess," he replied. "Is it your shift already?"

"It is. I was wondering if I could borrow you for a short while?"

Nightline quickly glanced back at those working in his area, all of whom were still bowing respectfully. "Are you guys cool if I leave?" He asked.

"Yes, go ahead. Anything the Princess needs," Dave quickly replied, along with many others.

Nightline couldn't help but laugh at they way they were acting. To him, Princess Luna was less of a Princess and more of a friend, so he viewed her differently than the rest of Equestria did. As he turned again and began walking beside her, she stopped and faced those bowing to her.

Suddenly, her posture changed as did her voice. With ear-shattering volume and well-rounded vowels, Princess Luna bellowed, "heed us not, Ponies of Canterlot, and return to thy good work. We leave you now."

The sheer power which Luna placed in those words was enough to leave Nightline's mane stuck comically blown in the opposite direction. And though the nearby ponies seemed surprised, they did as they were instructed. Without hesitation, Luna led Nightline towards the castle.

After straightening his mane, the stallion asked, "why'd you talk like that?"

"It is tradition that a Princess projects when addressing her subjects, and speaks with the Royal 'we,'" Luna explained.

"Huh, Interesting," he replied. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I'm glad you asked, Nightline. You see, even with the help of an Alicorn, it takes the entire day for Canterlot's most powerful Unicorns to clear away the compacted snow on the mountainside. Often times we run late, not because it's too hard or heavy, but because it is too strong. It can be more likened to ice, not snow."

"Ok, you lost me. How can I help with that?"

"Again, I am pleased that you asked. My sister ran behind schedule, so we will without a doubt be working well into the night to clear it away, unless we can find a faster way to break the thick ice faster. That is where you come in," she replied. "The only way to break the ice would be with a large enough shockwave, or in this case, a soundwave. But none of the Unicorns nor I possess a tool or magic which can do such a thing. Your voice, however, if magically enhanced, could do exactly what we need."

"So, you want me to scream the snow off of the mountainside?" Nightline couldn't help but chuckle at the idea.

"I would appreciate it if you would give it a try," Luna specified, also giggling.

"Luna, as my voice is your tool, thy will be done," he replied.

With a smile, Luna led the stallion to where the Unicorn group was. They were positioned in a line beside the castle, at least twenty strong. In the middle of their line was a gap, Nightline assumed where Luna had once stood. His suspicions were confirmed when she took that very place.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked.

"Exactly as you earlier described, Wordsmith. We will use our magic to brace the snow and ice, and ensure it doesn't fall to the town while you use your spell and voice to create a sound loud enough to shatter it's brittle structure."

As Nightline looked up at the mountainside and saw the sheer amount of snow and ice, he began to sense a flaw in the plan. "Princess, are you sure these Unicorn's can hold all of that?"

The Unicorns in question seemed slightly offended, though mostly understanding of his worries. "Be not afraid in that regard. They have surprised many with their power, and never underestimate an Alicorn's magic. I will be helping them as well."

Feeling consoled, Nightline smiled and agreed to partake in their plan. With a nod, Luna directed him to stand before all of the Unicorns, and together, they faced the mountainside. As soon as they were ready, the magically gifted group behind Nightline began a spell which lit up the entire wall of pure white snow in an aura of many colors.

"Alright, Nightline. We're ready," Luna signaled.

Breathing deeply, Nightline ignited his horn in its silver glow and focused his magic straight into his throat and vocal chords. One by one, each seemed to tighten, and only moments later, the process was complete. Taking in a large breath, the stallion directed all of the energy built inside him straight outward in a sound which would have sent an Ursa Major running for the hills. The bellow echoed off of the snow and ice, and traveled throughout Canterlot. Over and over again, Nightline heard his own voice cycle back after bouncing off of a building or hillside. Not long after the action was done did a deep rumble begin from the mountain.

"Well done, Nightline! It worked!" Luna exclaimed.

Smiling with pride, Nightline took a few steps back and placed himself beside Luna, who was beginning to direct the avalanche of snow to fall to the right, towards the piles created already by the townsponies of Canterlot. Though the Unicorns looked slightly strained, Nightline was pleased to see that he had greatly underestimated their power along with Princess Luna's. The demonstration of magical strength was a sight to behold.

"Well done yourself, Princess. This success is yours," Nightline said, as he reached his place beside her.

Luna couldn't help but smile at his praise, for praise from Nightline had become very meaningful to her. But something much larger in her heart took hold as he took his place at her side, for the already cramped line forced him to stand so close that they were touching at the shoulders; something albeit silly to see due to how much taller she was than he. But as they touched, Princess Luna felt her heart skip a few beats, and as it did, so did her magic falter. The glow of her horn began to flash irregularly, and her aid in stopping the snowfall diminished. Without her, the weight proved too much and the avalanche quickly began to fall towards Canterlot.

"Luna, it's falling!" Nightline exclaimed, looking on helplessly as the Moon Princess attempted to regain control.

By the time she had suppressed her emotions, it was too late. The snow and ice had gained too much momentum, and were far beyond the point of catching. Only moments later, a wall of pure white impacted Castle Canterlot and swept the Unicorn's along with Luna and Nightline into an unknown location. It was less than a minute later when all grew still. Nightline couldn't move, nor could he see anything but white. Everything around him felt cold, and he could feel with every breath that the air was growing thinner.

"Hello?" He called out. No reply.

He soon became aware of a new sensation, however. A warmth moving down his forehead, like melted chocolate. Yet as it rolled down to his snout, he saw a distinctive red. He identified the substance immediately as blood, yet feeling no pain, he knew it wasn't his own. And a groan from above him told him exactly whose it was. Glancing up, Nightline saw the underside of Princess Luna, who had been swept over him in the avalanche and had her midsection impaled on his horn.

"Luna?" Nightline exclaimed. "Luna, please wake up!"

To his great joy, her voice replied weakly, "Nightline? What is this pain?"

"Luna, listen, we're trapped under the snow and we're running out of air. I can't lift it myself, but you can."

"I...I will try."

Groaning, Princess Luna lit up her horn and attempted to lift the snow off of them, but had little success. She soon ended her spell and coughed.

"The burden is too great. I'm sorry, my friend. I have failed."

Nightline couldn't help but feel the reality of the situation sink in; if Princess Luna could not lift the ice, then they would die beneath it. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"No, Luna. Don't give up. You carry the weight of the Moon the the dreams of all of Equestria every night; a little bit of snow is nothing," he said, beginning to cough as his lungs began to burn, "You are the Princess of the Moon. I believe in you."

Hearing his words, Luna also realized that if she gave up, they would both die. With new determination, her horn again began to glow. The two could hear the ice above them crack as it gave to Luna's power, and as it began to lift, new air flooded the chamber which trapped them. As soon as she was able, Luna began to stand, subsequently pulling Nightline's horn from her abdomen. As it shifted within her wound, Luna cried out in pain, yet continued to lift the snow through sheer willpower. After what seemed like hours of labor, the two were free and Luna collapsed to the snow, crying and nearly unconscious from her pain. Seeing this, Nightline wasted little time before taking action.

"Sleep," he said, coupling his spell with the word and knocking the Princess out cold. He then set to work healing her injury, using the spell which she had taught him. As his horn began a bright silvery glow, the puncture itself began to close. It was as if time itself reversed on the wound; every drop of blood which had escaped it returned from the snow and from Nightline's head before it closed completely. The ordeal left Nightline exhausted and Luna still unconscious. He was glad, however, that though their plan had failed, all seemed to be in good order.

"Nightline!" A colt's voice rang out from the roadway leading towards the town.

He turned to see that the voice belonged to Dave, who was Galloping in his direction at extreme speeds.

"Dave? What's wrong?" Nightline asked when the colt reached him.

"The avalanche! It destroyed the orphanage and buried it. And the kids; they're trapped inside!"

With a grim expression, Nightline glanced around and saw that all of the Unicorns were busy rescuing each other, and Luna was still unconscious. Returning his gaze to Dave, Nightline knew he would have to be the one to save the children.

"Let's go."

By the time they reached the site where the Orphanage once stood, many ponies were already in a mad rush to unbury it. None, though, seemed to be able to break through the compacted sheets of ice. Seeing the destruction firsthoof left Nightline more fearful than ever and desperate to save the fillies he had grown so love so dearly. Rushing to the wall of ice, Nightline began calling out to any within.

"Hey! Can anyone hear me in there? It's Nightline!" he shouted.

"Nightline?" Cherry Blossom's voice called out in reply, muffled by the ice barrier.

From within, the scene was similar to that which Nightline had experienced. The snow and ice had swept away most of the building itself, and left only the foundation. The children were buried in the snow, and left immobilized. Cherry Blossom, who was near the front door, could see the light from outside and also see the shadows of those moving before it. She knew immediately which shadow was Nightline's upon hearing his voice.

"Yeah, kid, it's me. Are you ok?" He asked.

"I can't move," she replied.

"I know, sweetie, I know. Just don't panic, I'm gonna get you out of there."

"Hurry," she begged, "It's hard to breathe."

With panicked breathing and wide eyes, Nightline began to focus a levitation Spell onto the ice before him. The white turned silver quickly, and though it vibrated subtly, it wouldn't budge. For nearly a minute, Nightline struggled to lift the heavy frozen tomb which encased the children, but went unsuccessful. As his spell gave out, Nightline collapsed, breathing hard.

"Just hold on...Cherry…" he said between gasps, but heard no reply. "Cherry Blossom?" Nothing.

From within the ice, Cherry Blossom and the rest of the children were fainting one by one from lack of air. Those still conscious were too far gone to speak. Cherry Blossom was one who remained barely awake.

"Cherry Blossom, answer me!" Nightline exclaimed, planting his front Hooves on the ice wall. Hearing no reply, he became even more desperate and once again began attempting to lift the wall. The seconds continued to tick on as Nightline had no success. "I can't let them die," he thought to himself.

Cherry Blossom, in her daze, could only watch as the silver ice sparkled under Nightline's Spell. As a Filly, the gravity of the situation hadn't yet dawned on her. All she knew was that whatever was happening was scary and unpleasant. As she too began to lose consciousness, the silver glow of the ice changed, to one darker. Almost as if an aura of obsidian took hold of the ice, and very swiftly began to lift it. The new air which hit Cherry Blossom was well welcomed as she gasped and began to crawl free of her tomb.

As she escaped from beneath the ice, and once again came to full consciousness, she first expected to see Nightline, who she was certain had been the one to save her and the other children. But as she opened her eyes, she discovered that this was not the case. For standing on his hind legs before her was a dark stallion, large and muscular. His horn was enveloped in an obsidian aura, the same as the snow above their heads which cracked and groaned beneath his power. It took only a few moments for him to relocate it, leaving only the broken remains of the orphanage. Every conscious Filly and foal, as well as all ponies in the area, stood and marveled at the dark Unicorn before them. His face, however, showed nothing to be marveled.

"Thank you," said Cherry Blossom, breaking the silence. The innocent Filly smiled with equal innocence up at her savior, but her smile faded quickly.

As he glared down at the child before him, the dark stallion sneered. His sneer, which left any milk in Canterlot well curdled, soon vanished and left only a vexed frown. After briefly scanning the crowd around him, he walked off into the shadows between two buildings, and like a shadow himself, vanished. Every onlooker followed him with their eyes until they could follow no longer, at which point they all began exchanging uneasy glances, but none uttered a word.

"Cherry Blossom!" A sudden, overjoyed voice exclaimed from an alley on the opposite side of the road. Everyone turned just in time to see Nightline Wordsmith rush out and nearly tackle the Little Filly in a hug. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Nightline?" She replied, confused, "what happened? Where'd you go?"

The Unicorn was also slightly lost for the events of the last few minutes. Pulling out of his hug with Cherry Blossom, he said, "I'm not sure. I was trying to lift the ice, and it felt like somepony knocked me out. I woke up in a pile of snow behind that house."

As Nightline explained his recollections, the young Filly grew deaf. She turned slowly, forgetting that she was being spoken to, and finally took in the sight of her home's remains. The majority of the building was gone; swept away in the torrent of snow. All that remained was the stone foundation, as well as a few beds without mattresses. Seeing this, Cherry Blossom's Eyes began to tear up.

"Oh my...Nightline," was all she could manage to say, before the reality completely set it. She was without a home.

Seeing her condition, the stallion quickly pulled her in for a tight and comforting hug. And in his embrace, she cried. And as she cried, Nightline did his best to comfort her.

"Hey, it's ok. Everything is going to be fine," he said.

"But Nightline, the Orphanage is gone!" She retorted. "I don't have a home."

Nightline could feel her trembling. "Hey, don't worry. I'll talk to the Princesses personally and we'll get the Orphanage fixed, just the way it was and better! You'll see. And until then, we can find you a place to stay in the castle."

Cherry Blossom looked up at him hopefully, and asked, "really?"

"Really," Nightline repeated.

Now with tears of joy, the Filly tucked herself close to his chest. "Thank you," she said repeatedly. After a few moments, she pulled away and looked him square in the eyes. "Will Princess Celestia really help us?"

Nightline smiled. "There's not a doubt in my mind. And if she doesn't, then Princess Luna will-"

The Wordsmith froze. His eyes went wide, and his maw hung agape as if he had forgotten he could close it. This expression worried the Filly wrapper in his hug.

"Nightline?" She asked.

"Oh no...Luna!"

 **Part two of this chapter to come. Leave me a review!**


	15. WWU Part 2: Children of the Night

**And I return! Man, some of you guys did not enjoy that cliffhanger. Yet you still enjoy the story, so here you are! This chapter is sure to please.**

Chapter 15

"Stay here, Cherry Blossom," Nightline said frantically as he placed the Filly on the ground.

Suddenly remembering the barely-healed state he had left his Princess in, the Unicorn was desperate to reach her side and make certain of her condition. It didn't take him long to dash through the snow-covered streets of Canterlot and reach its Castle, which he now saw hadn't been spared by the Avalanche. Though its structure still seemed sound, every low enough window, balcony and door facing the mountainside had been blown in by the force of the snow, and the castle itself had been flooded. The stallion didn't allow the snow to stop him, however. He found the easiest way in and clambered through, fighting through the icy barriers and into a spiraling stairwell which led up floor-by-floor, until he reached the residential level, which still had small amounts of white powder melting into the carpet. As soon as he entered the hallway lined with bedrooms, he was met by four of Luna's personal guard, who didn't seem to want to let him pass.

"The Princess is in good health, but she is resting. She mustn't be disturbed," one of them insisted.

"I'll wait by her bedside and keep her company until she wakes," Nightline replied, attempting to move past them. He was promptly shoved back.

"None are to enter Princess Luna's chambers at this time."

After having had a very long day, Nightline wasn't willing to deal with the guards any longer. Sneering at them, he ignited the sparkling silver of his horn and growled, "stand aside."

The guards, who prior to his spell seemed adamant, immediately became malleable. They seemed to struggle against his will, staring into his silver eyes which were creased with an angry brow. They even, for a brief moment, thought they saw the silver of his eyes turn black, but by then, they hadn't the power to resist him, and all moved aside, bowing cordially as they let him pass. When he was clear of them, they returned to their formation just as adamantly as before. Only moments later, he passed through the doorway into Luna's bedroom. Surprisingly, she was already awake, although still laying down.

"Luna," Nightline gasped, rushing to her side, "are you alright?"

"I am well, Wordsmith, thanks to the Spell you administered," she said, slightly struggling as she sat up. "But as all healing spells do, yours drew upon the life energy of my body to heal itself. It has left me very weak."

Though Nightline was glad that she was alright, he was also concerned for whether or not she would be rejuvenated by nightfall. "How long?" He asked.

Luna smiled and replied, "for an Earth Pony or Pegasus, to have a wound such as the one I was dealt healed would leave them unconscious for well over a week. For a Unicorn, maybe a little less. But I am an Alicorn; I shall be up to strength within the hour."

The Unicorn couldn't help but sigh with relief, knowing that he hadn't disrupted the night for too long.

"And what of the town?" She added. "Does Canterlot fair better than its castle?"

Nightline sighed once more, saying, "the majority of the town seems to be in good order. A bit powder glazed, but still alright. But-"

"But?" Luna's face grew worried.

"The Orphanage was a poor structure already. The children are unharmed, but their home was blown away completely."

The Moon Princess was struck speechless. Her mouth hung open, her voice cracking through as if she were trying to say something, yet no words came. Nightline could see tears forming in her eyes, but he could not fathom the words to comfort her.

"Once again, my shortcomings bring harm to the innocent," She finally said, lowering her eyes to the floor.

Luna's words, though filled with sorrow, could not possibly portray what was going on in her mind and in her heart. Her thoughts raced with images of Nightmare Moon; of Equestria enveloped in eternal darkness and tyranny; of a war with her sister which she would ultimately win, killing off her dear Tia. Orphaned children crying for mercy where none would be given, all because Princess Luna fell short. These images raced through her mind like scurrying rats, and in her heart, only pain presided. Yet a new feeling became apparent to her: a firm hoof was placed upon her back, between her wings. Almost immediately following this, she was shoved, or rather pulled to the edge of her bed, and then her head came to rest upon a cloth-covered chest. The fabric upon her cheek was soft, yet not thick enough to prevent her from hearing the pony's heartbeat, which was strong and constant; unwavering. She was soon held tightly to this chest by two hooves on her back, along with their attached legs wrapped around her torso. Though it was clear to whom each interacting body part belonged, Luna wasn't even considering that identity. Instead, she continued to focus on the limbs wrapped around her, and the firm chest which served as her comfort.

"It's alright," The stallion holding her said. His voice reverberated through his chest in the most soothing way. "You couldn't have known. None of us could."

Luna said nothing in reply. Instead, she allowed herself to feel whatever her heart intended her to. However, instead of an onslaught of pain as she expected, she was met with a feeling of relief. As if her problems were all gone. This new feeling soon turned to tears on the stallion's sweater, and a smile upon her face. Too soon for her liking, the comforting heartbeat and strong embrace were gone. Her stallion pulled away. As he did, she looked up at him and directly into his silver eyes, which sparkled like the precious metal itself.

"You will never be to blame for what happened today, and together, we will do right by those kids," Nightline continued.

Though she heard him, only one word of his statement caught the Moon Princess's attention. "Together?" She asked.

"Together." He replied.

The two sat in that position for a few brief moments of silence, before Luna took in a deep breath and began to speak, seeming hesitant to do so. "Nightline," she began, trailing off.

Before she could continue, a tall white Alicorn with a flowing mane of many colors burst into the room. Nightline pulled away immediately, much to Luna's disappointment.

"Luna!" Princess Celestia exclaimed as she rushed to her sister's side. The sun princess looked to be on the verge of tears. "Are you alright? The guards told me what happened after I dug out of my study," she explained, before asking again, "are you alright?"

"I am, Sister, thanks to a healing spell quickly administered by our Wordsmith," The Moon Princess replied.

Celestia sighed in relief and turned her attention to Nightline. "Thank you. We are forever indebted to you, Nightline."

"Consider the debt paid. She saved my life before I was able to save hers," he replied.

"Don't forget, my friend, that I saved my own life at the same time. You were more of a bonus, in that regard," Luna cut in, leaving the three to share a short laugh.

"Well, all the same, I'm glad that you are both alright. And I was so relieved to hear that the town is still in good order, even after the avalanche," said the Sun Princess.

Both Nightline and Princess Luna lost their smiles on this comment. "Well, not entirely in good order, I fear," Luna replied.

"What do you mean?"

"The orphanage, Princess. It was completely destroyed. There's nothing left of it," Nightline explained.

Celestia's ears fell flat to her head, and a grim expression befell her face. "Oh...that's terrible news."

"I agree," The stallion continued, "but we can fix it. My father is an exemplary construction worker, and until it's done, the children could stay in the Castle."

Though the Moon Princess seemed to find hope in this idea, Celestia's expression showed no signs of any such emotion. "No, I'm afraid they can't."

"What?" Nightline gawked.

"You must understand, I would not hesitate to allow it if the situation weren't so complicated. But this castle wasn't spared by the avalanche; most of it is filled with snow, and what remains must be reserved for political matters to keep the peace in Equestria. I cannot spare a single room in this state," she explained.

Not Princess Luna nor her alabaster counterpart could speak to this information. In their silence, Celestia continued.

"I will go to the town and do what I can to find as many of them places to stay as possible. I'm sorry, Nightline. I truly am," she finished, before turning to exit the room.

"Princess!" Nightline exclaimed, stopping her in her tracks.

"Yes?" She asked.

"There is a little red Pegasus named Cherry Blossom. Bring her with you as you come back; I will give her my bed for the time being."

Though the Sun Princess at first seemed ready to object, she instead nodded and made her exit. It wasn't much later that Nightline and Princess Luna found themselves in the Castle Library, which was in good shape considering recent events. Almost all of the bookshelves were turned on their sides, and many books were strewn across the floor. Nightline paid them no mind as he paced the room, muttering angrily to himself.

"I can't believe this. How could this happen?" He shouted.

"It can't be helped," consoled Luna.

"Of all the buildings, why that one?"

With every angry phrase he spoke, Nightline grew angrier himself. Like a wildfire over dead grass, his emotions spread. He could feel it from the end of his tail to the tip of his horn.

"Why them? They've been through so much already. Their lives are hard enough! I wish I could make their pain end. I feel so powerless! I wish…" he trailed off into silence for a few brief moments. Princess Luna watched on, concerned but unable to calm his rage. She watched as every muscle in his body suddenly tensed up, and at the same time, his horn lit up in a silver aura. "I wish I could take them away from this! From this pain, this agony. I wish I could give them a better life, a life they deserve, but I can't! I'm so worthless!"

With that last mighty bellow, a surge of magical energy erupted from the stallions body like a shockwave. A ring of silver dust expanded from his core and dissipated after a few feet, sending any books near him tumbling away. One such book landed before the Moon Princess, who glanced down to see a picture of a strange creature which she remembered all too well. A monster; an amalgamation of various different animal parts to form one hideous creature: Discord, the Lord Of Chaos. And yet, the picture showed this creature encased in stone, while her and her sister stood by victoriously. The memories of their victory over Discord reminded Princes Luna of something which could serve as an answer to their problem.

"What if you could?" Luna asked.

Nightline turned to face her, eyeballing the Princess curiously. "What?"

"What if there was a way you could wisk these children off to a better life; would you?" She specified.

"Luna, what are you talking about?"

Sighing, she began to explain. "Long ago, Equestria was not a land of harmony. It was ruled by Chaos, until the day that my sister and I rose up and defeated chaos itself; a creature known as Discord. The battle left Equestria a damaged place. Back then, I still wished for those who slept in the night to see me as they saw my sister. In that time, a small group of ponies formed a cult which worshiped the moon above the sun, and wished for us to become our own separate kingdom. But Celestia forbade it, saying that it would divide our damaged kingdom, and destroy it. Regardless of this, these ponies formed a colony in secret, on the borders of Equestria. They live happily, still, but are unknown to all but myself. They call themselves the Children of the Night. To save these young ones from their hardships, I could bring them to the Children of the Night, where they would live just as happily with nair a hardship to deal with."

Hearing Luna's proposition, Nightline smiled softly. With his smile intact, he approached his Princess and placed a hoof on her shoulder. His demeanor seemed to have grown much calmer than before. This made Luna hopeful. Closing his eyes, he stated simply, "no."

"What?" Luna asked, surprised.

"Thank you for the thought and idea, but we can't. I wish to save them from hardship, not tear away their lives."

The Princess was speechless. But requiring no reply, Nightline moved forwards and gave her a quick hug before separating and moving towards the exit. "Celestia should be arriving with Cherry Blossom any minute now, and you should be getting ready to raise the Moon. Goodnight, Princess Luna. I wish you luck."

As Luna gawked, Nightline exited the library. With everything he had been saying, she wasn't expecting him to reject her idea. She was ready for nothing short of an enthusiastic outburst. Yet for the first time since they had become friends, Nightline's opinions didn't change hers. The Unicorn was correct about the timing; when he reached the castle entrance, Princess Celestia was just arriving with a tiny little red Pegasus walking beside her. Cherry Blossom looked both nervous and glum, and Nightline couldn't blame her. She had been through quite the ordeal that day. Though seeing Nightline did lift her spirits, it wasn't enough to change her composure. Only a few minutes later, the Unicorn was tucking her into bed and was humming the tune of an old lullaby; one which his mother used to sing for him. He didn't instill his voice with magic, though, for it was not needed to bring Cherry Blossom into a peaceful sleep. Prince Perseus, who was both curious of this new pony and able to detect her low spirits, curled up beside her and began to purr. With a sigh, Nightline found a comfortable place on the floor beside the bed and soon found himself following the little red Pegasus into slumber. If only his sleep was as peaceful as hers.

Nightline dreamt of the Orphanage. It was a delightful scene; he was sitting before all of the children reading them a storybook. The book floating in front of him was of a green cover, yet it was blank. Nightline was speaking, yet there were no words to be read. The children didn't seem to know the difference, however, and continued to smile as they listened. After a few minutes of telling a story which the stallion himself couldn't hear, the smiles on the children's faces vanished. Replacing them were frowns and tear-filled eyes. At that moment, Nightline's perspective within the dream left his body and moved to be amongst the children, looking up at the stallion telling the story. It was strange to see his own body as another pony altogether; it was as if it were no longer Nightline's to occupy. And the scene which was nice at first turned dreadful. Nightline both watched and could feel the hearts of the children breaking beneath this stallion's magical voice. It didn't take long for Nightline to realize that the stallion before him, though looking almost exactly alike, wasn't him. This stallion's eyes were black, not grey. As soon as he noticed this detail, a deep rumble came from the ground and only moments later, a torrent of snow blew the room apart and left everything in darkness. The black soon slowly faded to light just long enough for Nightline to see all of the orphans unconscious beneath the snow, which lifted quickly to reveal a dark stallion on the other side before the scene went black again.

The dream then changed. Nightline was back in his own body, this time in what he assumed was the middle of the Everfree Forest. The trees and overgrowth were all a malevolent green, and left the brown dirt to be the only accent. The forest itself was eerily quiet. Nightline looked around nervously, but he couldn't see very far before shadow blocked his vision just beyond the tree line. Soon, however, his sense of hearing received a chilling stimulation. A deep, rumbling laugher filled Nightline's ears and echoed from every direction, almost as if the source was circling him. This sound was soon accompanied by canine growls, which was a sound he was very familiar with: Timber Wolves. As soon as he came to that conclusion, Nightline saw countless sets of stationary red eyes appear in the shadows, glowing through the darkness. One such set stood out, however, as the eyes were a different shape and were moving. This set wasted no time in emerging from the shadows, revealing a dark grey Unicorn with eyes as black as night. His mouth was cracked, allowing a deep rumbling laugh to escape.

Eyeballing the stallion suspiciously, Nightline asked, "Who are you?"

Stopping in his laughter, he seemed partially disappointed, "You don't already know? Surely you've felt my presence."

"Just tell me who you are!" Nightline exclaimed in unknown impulse.

Taking a single step forwards, the stallion took on a look of malice; his posture and expression was more intimidating than what Nightline was prepared for. He couldn't help but shrink back in fear as what appeared to be a cloud of the night sky began to grow behind the dark unicorn. It was a waving aura identical to that of Princess Luna's mane, and it grew to be twice the size of either of the Unicorns.

"I am the doom you will bring to Equestria," was all the stallion said before the aura behind him lunged forwards. It enveloped him, and charged quickly at Nightline. All the stallion saw were two glowing white eyes and a mouth of pointed teeth before he woke, screaming as he shot up from the ground.

The bedroom was dark and silent. Nightline was covered in a layer of sweat, and breathing as if he'd just completed the Running of the Leaves. After calming himself, the unicorn began to contemplate the nightmare he had just experienced. He could imagine how the destruction of the orphanage would have given him such a dream, but who was this mystery unicorn entering his slumber? The longer he thought about it, the more he began to wonder, the clearer another question became to him: why hadn't Princess Luna prevented his nightmare? With dreadful curiosity, Nightline let his gaze fall upon the bed in the room, only to find that Cherry Blossom was gone.

"Cherry Blossom?" he shouted, worried that she had had a similar nightmare. He heard no reply. Instead, an unknown melody filled his ears followed by a voice which he recognized immediately as Luna's.

 _Follow sweet children,_

 _I'll show thee the way_

 _Through all the pain and the sorrows._

 _Weep not poor children,_

 _For life is this way._

 _Muttering beauty and passion._

Nightline's ears fell flat, as he immediately knew what was happening. Despite his objections, Luna was taking the children away. He rushed from his room without. As he galloped through the castle halls, he found that every worker on the night shift from guards to maids were all unconscious on the floor. When Nightline finally escaped the snow-filled castle, he was left in shock. He could see his favored Princess flying over the town, and all around her, the children came floating out of buildings, seemingly affected by a levitation spell. Nightline was quick to rush after them.

 _Hush now dear children,_

 _It must be this way._

 _To weary of life and deceptions._

 _Rest now my children,_

 _For soon we'll away_

 _Into the calm and the quiet._

Nightline was desperate to prevent Luna from doing what she was doing. As he broke into the streets of Canterlot, he too joined in her song in hopes that she would hear him. As he began, she stopped in mid air and turned to find the source of his voice, easily locating him in his pursuit.

 _Luna don't do this,_

 _Don't take them away._

 _Not to your land of the darkness._

 _They each have lives here,_

 _And dreams to pursue._

 _Stop this and be not so heartless._

Descending from her position near the clouds, Luna almost seemed to scowl. She landed before Nightline, soon followed by the group of Children who stood behind her. Their eyes were glazed, as if they hadn't a clue what was happening.

"Why do you object to this?" Luna asked angrily, "I am bringing them to where they can be without hardship!"

"You're bringing them to where they can join your worshipers, whether they want it or not," Nightline corrected, earning a scoff.

"They give no objections."

"Look at them! You're making them sleepwalk. They don't know any better!" he shouted.

"They know more than any young one should! They know of pain, loss, suffering, and rejection. Just as you described," Luna refuted.

"But what are you giving them, and at what cost?"

The Princess was confused by his question, and had no response. After a few moments of silence, Nightline continued.

"You're replacing their lives as orphans with the life of a cult. They don't need that; what they need is a home. Parents for the children, and to pursue their dreams to better equestria, not divide it."

His words left her speechless. Though she wished to remove their hardships, Luna also hadn't thought of what she was taking from them. The lives they could have, if only given the chance. Luna recognized immediately the effect of Nightline's words as they manipulated her mind; he was casting his spell to sway her. Shaking herself free, her resolve and anger returned.

"How could you?" she growled, "You swore. You took an oath never to use that spell against your Princesses. Why do you use it against me?"

"I'm not."

Luna's mouth fell open. Upon his response, she looked up to see that it was true. His horn sat dormant upon his head. No magic was used to enhance the truth of his words. They were true enough without. Suddenly, the Moon Princess began to believe in her heart that she had done true wrong. Glancing back at the children still entranced behind her, she felt the guilt rising. Her head fell low, and her eyes locked with the ground as if the mushy snow could remove the current situation from her mind. When it failed to do so, the Princess lit up her horn and used the quick flash of a teleportation spell to return each child to where she had stolen them from. The light forced Nightline to clench his eyes for a brief moment. He said nothing when he opened them again.

"What have I done," said Luna after an extended silence.

Though upset, the Unicorn could not ignore his friend's guilt and grief. Sighing, he approached until he was barely an inch away before saying, "the wrong thing."

Luna looked up to her friend in surprise. She hadn't in the least expected him to say anything which wouldn't make her feel better. She said nothing in reply, however, as a small smile on his face showed her that he wasn't finished.

"Go figure; a Princess isn't always right. And sometimes, she's even wrong. Would you believe me if I told you that an Alicorn Princess, Mistress of the Moon and Savior of the Night, just isn't perfect?"

It wasn't long into Nightline's ramble when Luna became aware of what he was saying. Unable to speak, all the Princess could do was nod and form a joyous smile. Her eyes too began to mist as the Wordsmith pulled her into a tender hug. Unexpectedly, however, she was the one to pull away, a look of urgent concern in her eyes.

"But Nightline, what about the children? What will we do?" She asked.

With another smile, he replied, "You know, I actually have an idea about that."

It was only a few days later when Nightline's idea came to reality. Both he and Princess Luna stood at the Canterlot Train Depot to welcome a guest. As the train arrived and opened its large sliding doors, a crowd of ponies departed. In the midst of them all stood an Earth Pony equal in stature to Nightline with a white coat of fur and a teal main. He wore the vest of a construction worker, and smiled upon spotting the Unicorn.

"Hey Dad," Nightline said as he welcomed Erit with a hug.

When the greeting was complete, Erit turned his attention to Luna and bowed cordially, saying, "Princess."

Luna bowed as well. "Thank you for coming."

"It's my pleasure. It's an honor to do this kind of work, and even more so for a Princess. Now," he replied, smiling, "let's see what we can do about this Orphanage, shall we?"

In less than a month, Nightline and his father, along with the help of those under Erit's employment, reconstructed the Filly and Foal Caretaker's Lodge, Sanctuary and Orphanage. To fund the work, Nightline opened up his savings from his vast pays as well as the profit of his book. His stores of bits proved to be just enough to rebuild the home of his beloved children; if only they were to return to it. Only a small portion of the orphans returned to live in the Orphanage, for in the end, the families who had volunteered to care for the homeless fillies and foals grew too fond of them to send them away, and instead adopted them. Nightline couldn't help but smile as he helped the remaining settle back in, before returning to Castle Canterlot with Cherry Blossom at his side, smiling gleefully as she marched to her new home.

 **I claim no ownership to "Children of the Night." All rights reserved.**


	16. Two Golden Tickets

**Holy smokes this one took a while! I'm in my last quarter of High School, preparing to graduate, so time is not plentiful. Have fun reading!**

Chapter 16

The morning was crisp in Canterlot. Very few ponies were out and about yet; only those preparing to open their businesses. Many of the townsponies stopped to look up, however, as a golden chariot passed overhead. Upon this chariot sat a white Unicorn, dressed in a grey sweater and carrying two leather bags with the royal insignia upon them. Nightline Wordsmith smiled, breathing in the sweet morning air and sampling the aroma of a nearby doughnut shop. He was returning from his most recent mission, which had taken him to Trottingham. It was a unique experience, seeing as he hadn't been sent to settle any disputes or political affairs. Instead, he was sent there after a school had requested someone come to be a guest and teach about the royal hierarchy. Seeing as none of the Princesses could spare any time, Nightline volunteered to take the job.

As the chariot touched ground, the stallion found himself immediately assaulted with the love of a little red pegasus: Cherry Blossom, Nightline's one-month adopted filly. This was his first return since adopting her, and it appeared that his few days absence wasn't taken well at all. Princess Luna stood by the castle entrance, watching with a grin as she observed the little filly's behavior.

"You were gone for forever!" she shouted with a smile, clinging to his front legs in a hug.

"Two days," Nightline replied, laughing as he lifted Cherry Blossom with his magic.

As she was lifted, the little pegasus spread out her wings and began to fly. Though not strong enough to fly very well on her own, Nightline's levitation spell provided enough support for her to practice. Giggling, she flew around her guardian and began to torment him by dive bombing. Her attempt was to scare him and pull up at the last moment, but as she came close, Cherry Blossom lost control and managed to veer directly into an Alicorn-shaped hedge, leaving a hole in one of the wings. She emerged from between the hedge's legs, a look of guilt upon her face, and a collection of twigs caught in her mane.

"Oops," was all she said, before flashing an innocent grin.

Nightline couldn't help but laugh at the scene before him. "You'll get better at those turns," he replied, using another basic spell to retrieve all the remnants of the alicorn wing and recreate it upon the hedge, leaving not a spec remaining on the little filly. Smiling, she joined him in walking to greet Princess Luna, who had been waiting patiently as she watched an inexperienced father work wonders with a child.

"Welcome home, Nightline," Luna said as he approached.

Nightline nodded before asking, "Cherry Blossom wasn't too much trouble while I was away, was she?"

"Hey!" the filly exclaimed, making the two laugh.

"She was wonderful. She's befriended our head chef, so she spent most of the time in the kitchen. And what about you, Wordsmith? How faired your trip?"

"You know, I don't think I could ever be a teacher. The children in Trottingham have more energy than an Alicorn, no doubt, and are very skilled at hiding random supplies of silly string," Nightline replied, earning some laughter.

"What's that?" Cherry Blossom asked.

"Nothing you will ever get your hooves on, as long as I live and breathe," the stallion replied, ruffling the filly's mane.

Luna giggled. "Celestia waits for us in the dining hall. Breakfast is being completed as we speak. Shall we?"

With a nod, Nightline led the walk into Castle Canterlot with Luna at his left and Cherry Blossom on his right. Breakfast was simple and short that morning, with minimal conversation being exchanged between the four present ponies. Cherry Blossom was the last to finish her plate of pancakes, as she spent much of her time eyeballing the food as if it were an alien creature.

"Something wrong, little one?" Princess Celestia asked upon noticing her behavior.

"Oh, not wrong," she replied, before adding, "the chef didn't whisk the batter enough. That's why they're all flat."

Luna seemed surprised to hear this and began eyeballing her own empty plate. "I noticed nothing of the sort."

"Maybe you're learning a thing or two from your time spent in the kitchen," Nightline stated, smiling.

When Cherry Blossom was finished eating, all four stood from their places and began walking towards their normal exit point. First Luna exited, followed by Cherry Blossom. Nightline was about to pass through the door, but was stopped when Celestia called his name.

"May I steal a moment of your time?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied, before turning to the filly in the doorway. "Cherry Blossom, go wash up and get ready for school. I'll walk you down."

When the little Pegasus and Princess Luna were gone, Nightline approached Celestia, curious as to the purpose of being kept behind. By the neutral smile on her face, he could tell it was nothing which would upset him.

"Thank you. I have a few things to give you," she said, before levitating out a small cloth bag full of bits. It was significantly lighter than Nightline's normal pay, he guessed because his last assignment was a simple teaching job in place of the political events he was used to. "Your pay from the Trottingham job," she explained. Next, she brought out two items which the Unicorn never thought he we ever receive.

Hovering through the air encased in a golden aura were two golden tickets. Tickets which were unmistakably for the most important social gathering in Equestria: the Grand Galloping Gala.

"Are these?" Nightline asked, still unbelieving as he retrieved them with his own magic. He had never dreamed of going to the dance as others had, but he still recognized the honor in being invited.

Celestia nodded. "As a Primary Staff Member and personal servant to my sister and I, you will always be invited to the Grand Galloping Gala. And as an invited guest, you are permitted to bring a plus one."

Nightline glanced up in surprise, now knowing the purpose of the second ticket. He would be given the choice of anyone in Equestria? The choice was immediately clear to him. He knew of only one who he would want to spend that night with, and the pink Pegasus in question was a resident of Ponyville.

"One last thing," Celestia said, breaking him from his thoughts. The Princess then hovered a scroll wrapped in the royal seal. She passed it to Nightline, saying, "I received this scroll from my student, Twilight Sparkle, last night. Evidently she and her friends went to visit Appaloosa these last few days."

"Really?" Nightline asked, opening the scroll as he recalled his first mission to the aforementioned town, "I wonder how they're doing out there." When the scroll was open, Nightline began reading.

 **Dear Princess Celestia,**

 **Friendship is a wonderous and powerful thing. Even the worst of enemies can become friends; you need understanding and compromise. You've got to share, you've got to care.**

The letter went on to tell of a very strong feud between the Appaloosans and Buffalo. A feud which Nightline thought he had left on a path to resolution. When he finished reading, the Unicorn looked up with an awkward smile at Princess Celestia, who had a more amused expression on her face.

"First days on the job never go according to plan," she said, winking before retrieving her students letter and leaving the kitchen.

It wasn't much later when Nightline and Cherry Blossom departed from Castle Canterlot and began their walk towards the Canterlot Schoolhouse. As they walked, the two chatted up a tempest of vast conversation. Cherry mainly rambled about the many things they had been learning about Ponish Philosophy and Equestrian history. The curriculum in Canterlot seemed much more advanced than that of the school in Ponyville. As the two came upon their desired location, Nightline stopped his adopted filly.

"I want you to have a good day today, and come straight back to the castle when you're done. I'm taking you on a little trip, so pack some things to keep you entertained while we're away," Nightline explained.

Cherry Blossom was immediately glowing with excitement. "Where are we going?" she gleefully demanded.

"We're going to Ponyville to meet your Grandparents and drop something off with an old friend."

By noon that day, the two had already left. Without the availability of a chariot, they were forced to take the train. It still took only half an hour to make the trip, but the little filly could hardly stay seated the entire time. She had never gone beyond the reaches of Canterlot, and so everything which passed by the windows as the train traveled down the mountain was brand new. Her behavior was more than amusing enough for any grown ponies in their car. The rambunctious little Pegasus nearly knocked over an older couple when the train finally arrived in Ponyville. She was adamant about being the first to place her hooves upon the wooden floor of the station. Nightline was barely quick enough to keep up.

"Cherry Blossom, slow down!" he shouted, chuckling as she quickly returned to him.

Using a levitation spell, Nightline laid her bags across her back similar to how his own were arranged. As he secured them, however, a strange sound emanating from one of them caught his ear.

"Purr," he heard a familiar feline noise.

"What was that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," she immediately blurted.

Before the unicorn could say anything else, another chirping noise came from the same bag, which then shifted of its own accord.

"Cherry Blossom," Nightline said, opening the bag to find Prince Purceus stowed away inside. In silence, he stared at the filly, who looked up at him guiltily.

"He wanted to come so bad!" she explained, looking back and nuzzling the cat who now poked his head out of the open bag.

"You couldn't have said no?" Nightline asked with frustration.

"Of course not!" she replied, looking appalled by even the thought of denying the cute cat his wishes.

Though angry, Nightline couldn't deny himself the humor of the situation and the expression on the filly's face. Sighing, he chuckled and said, "I hope you at least brought some food for him."

Beaming, Cherry pulled out a small container of wet food. "I brought his favorite: tuna."

Nightline couldn't help but laugh, commanding her, "come on," before leading the walk out of the train depot and into town. As the two walked the streets towards Nightline's old home, he couldn't help but smile. It had been too long since he had been home, and the less sophisticated lifestyle of the Ponyville residents was quite a relief. Cherry Blossom had no shortage of questions about every building which wasn't a house. She asked about the library, the schoolhouse, Sugarcube Corner, Rarity's Boutique, and even the Dance School which looked very similar to a house. The filly came to full attention, though, as she noticed that they were walking directly towards a house, as opposed to past it as they had all the others.

"Is that it?" she asked excitedly.

"It is. Remember, best behavior," he replied, stopping in front of the door to knock softly.

"Honey, the door!" Erit's voice exclaimed from within, sounding like it was coming from upstairs.

"Can you get it? I'm a little tied up at the moment," Aria's voice replied.

"No, dear, I can't get it. I'm-whoa!" was all the the earth pony said before a loud crash silenced him.

"Erit?" Aria called out in concern.

"I'm fine," he replied. Nightline couldn't help but laugh at what he was hearing.

"I'll get the door," she said.

A few moments later, the door opened and reveal Aria Stargazer almost completely covered in what appeared to be Hearth's Warming Light Decorations.

"Family gram!" Nightline exclaimed, leaving his mother looking quite shocked.

"Nightline!" she screamed, rushing forwards and wrapping him in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I have a bit of a surprise for you," he replied, glancing back at Cherry Blossom who stood behind him, out of sight.

"Surprise?" Erit's voice asked as he emerged from the stairway. He was blotted all over with brown paint, which explained what had happened when Nightline heard the crash. "The surprise is you being here!"

Before Nightline could even object, he was pulled inside and the door was closed behind him, slammed nearly in Cherry's face. The little pegasus stood awkwardly, staring at the door without an idea of what to do. Prince Purceus also poked his head out from the bag and meowed in confusion. Inside, Nightline was being bombarded with loving gestures. From offers of food or drink, to accommodations to stories of what had happened. They couldn't talk for long, however, as a knock at the front door silenced them all. Erit was the one to answer, spying a little red filly standing before him.

"Oh hey there. Can we help you?" he asked.

"Uh, Dad, that's-"

"Hi there, sweetie," Aria said, peering through the doorway.

"Mom, this-"

She gasped on sight of Percy. "Awe, what a cute kitty. Are you collecting donations for Fluttershy?"

Cherry Blossom looked to be at a loss for things to say. Seeing this, Nightline shouted, "guys!"

Both of his parents looked back at him confused, but before saying anything, he used a spell to pull them away from the doorway. Their hooves squeaked as they slid across the polished wood floor. When they were out of the way, Nightline moved forwards and beckoned to the filly.

"Come on in. I'll introduce you," he said, before turning to face his confused parents. "Cherry Blossom, these are your grandparents."

Both of the Nightline's parents went completely stiff. Their eyes rapidly bounced between their son and the Filly who he claimed was their granddaughter. The stallion could see the gears in their heads turning as they attempted to do the math, yet were unable to gain any answers. They were both thankful when their son gave the answers which they could not ascertain.

"Mom, Dad, this is Cherry Blossom. I adopted her about a month ago."

Amidst all of the interaction, the Filly who had said nothing yet was growing nervous. The ponies who were supposedly her grandparents were far from enthusiastic about meeting her. They held a single expression for quite some time; one which Cherry was unfamiliar with. She had all but backed out the door when Nightline places a hoof on her back and ushered her forwards, towards the two strange ponies.

"Don't be nervous," he said. "Go say hi."

With flattened ears, Cherry Blossom walked forwards. She stopped when she was standing just in front of her supposed grandparents, who looked down at her with the same surprised, unsure expression.

"Hello," she greeted, trying to sound as polite as possible.

Aria's eyes constantly jumped between Nightline and the little filly who had placed herself before her. Neither the Wordsmith nor Cherry Blossom could tell what was going through her mind, and even Erit seemed more concerned with his wife than the child. Finally, Nightline's mother settled her gaze on the little pegasus before her, and a smile crept up her cheeks.

"Hi, sweetie," she said softly, kneeling down to be at eye level with the filly. "I'm your grandma."

With eyes watering of joyous tears, Aria pulled little Cherry Blossom in for a hug. The filly seemed hesitant at first, but soon melted into the embrace, enjoying the feeling of being held by her family for the first time.

"Oh Nightline, she's so beautiful."

Only a few minutes later, the four ponies were in the kitchen, all completely cleaned up. Aria stood by the counter preparing a salad as they all chattered. Nightline informed his mother in detail about the collapse of the orphanage and all the events that followed. His father was already informed of those events, but had only vaguely summarized them to his wife. When the food was ready, Cherry Blossom shared a long conversation with her grandparents about herself and her life previous to meeting Nightline. The words exchanged were drawn out and enjoyable for all parties; for the filly especially, as the family environment was quite new and pleasant to her.

"Well," Aria said, "It is so wonderful to meet you, Cherry Blossom. If you don't mind, would you excuse the three of us for a minute?"

With an innocent smile, the little pegasus nodded. Nightline was confused as to why his mother was pulling him and his father aside. Not wanting to discourage his adopted daughter, he smiled reassuringly.

"Why don't you give Percy some food, in the meantime?" he asked.

Cherry Blossom's eyes lit up at the idea, and without hesitation, she set to work preparing a serving of the tuna. While she did so, Nightline and his parents slipped off to his old bedroom upstairs. The Unicorn was surprised to find that it was hardly a bedroom at all, anymore, but was in the process of becoming an office. His bed and all other furniture were gone, and paint cans were set around the room. Near the back wall, a step ladder and two spilled cans confirmed what Nightline suspected was the crashing noise he had heard his father make when they had first arrived.

"I see you're not letting my old room go to waste," he said, walking around to inspect the floors and paint job.

"Well, with you living in Canterlot, we decided we needed a workplace. We'll be adding in desks and storage cabinets so that your mother and I have a place to do paperwork and the like," Erit explained.

"It looks good so far, minus the splatter in the corner over there," the stallion joked.

"Nightline," Aria suddenly cut in, her voice serious, "what are you doing?"

Confused, he asked, "what do you mean?"

"We all know you're a wonderful stallion, and I couldn't be a prouder mother, but adopting a filly at your age? You're not even married."

"But-"

"Your mother is right. Are you sure you're ready for this kind of responsibility?" Erit added.

Nightline paused for a moment, ensuring that his parents had said what they were going to and also partially angered by their words. Had they no faith in him as a stallion, after all he had accomplished?

"You seemed happy enough to meet her," Nightline replied with ice on his tongue.

"She's a beautiful and amazing little filly; it's easy to love her, but-"

"Then what?" he barked.

"All we're saying is that you are moving very fast through life right now. It hasn't even been a year since you moved away, and you're already taking the step of fatherhood," Erit replied. "Are you really ready for this?"

As the three discussed the apparent issue, Cherry Blossom sat patiently in the kitchen. She smiled and giggled as she watched her favorite kitty gorge himself on a portion of tuna, making cute noises as he did. After a while, however, her patience began to waver. Growing bored, the filly began to explore her grandparents' kitchen, seeing what equipment they had compared to the kitchen in Castle Canterlot. She was intrigued to find how different the appliances were. Though each served essentially the same purpose, some were more unorthodox than others. As she wondered the kitchen, she came across an organized stack of papers beside the refrigerator. She recognized that the papers each held a single recipe for a food, and the paper atop the stack caught her attention immediately. A paper which read "Cherry Chongas."

"Mom, Dad, I know that before, I wasn't really good at anything. But I'm better now, and have more money than a single pony could ever spend. And if you knew Cherry Blossom like I do, you would know how I felt. The need to keep her safe, to make sure she leads a good life and wants for nothing."

After a brief pause, Erit lowered his eyes to the ground. "The need to be her father." Raising his gaze, he approached his son and looked him square in his silver eyes. "Just promise me one thing, son. Do right, as a father. It's a tough job."

"How can I fail?" Nightline asked. "I'm taking a few pages out of the book of the greatest dad in the world."

Smiling, he replied, "I didn't know you ever met Bright Mac."

"I meant yours, you dolt," Nightline blurted, laughing as he pulled both of his parents in for a hug.

When they were finished talking, the three ponies returned to the kitchen, where they found Cherry Blossom sitting patiently at the table, smiling as she watched Prince Perseus sniff his way around the room.

"Alright, kiddo, we've gotta get going," Nightline said.

"Already?" Cherry asked, sounding distressed at his words. Nightline's parents also seemed surprised.

"Hun, you just got here," Aria added.

"I know, but this actually wasn't the main reason for me coming here. I came to invite Iris to the Grand Galloping Gala, but we can't be here for too long because Cherry Blossom has school tomorrow. Our time is cut even shorter because we had to take the train," he explained.

"Iris, huh? Lucky for you, she's back in town now. Got here the other day, and she's been in a mad rush since last night. Better hurry before she heads off again," Erit said, winking at his son.

Smiling, Nightline nodded and began gathering his items before loading Cherry Blossom up with hers. Percy was quick to find his place within her right bag. "I'll go straight to her place, then. It was great seeing you guys!"

With that said, Nightline and Cherry Blossom departed. The little pegasus, knowing that her remaining time in Ponyville was short, made sure to soak in as much of the town as she could. From the buildings to the daily grind of the Ponyville residents, Cherry asked about everything. As the two came upon their next destination, Nightline ran through the same spiel as he had when they arrived at his parents house. When he deemed the filly ready, they walked up the two wooden stairs together and he knocked on the front door.

"Just a minute!" an almost violently desperate voice called out, followed by various sounds of chaos from within. After the mentioned time span had almost expired, the door to the house was pulled open to reveal a beautiful pink pegasus who looked exactly as the Stallion remembered. "Nightline!" she exclaimed, pulling him into a hug.

"Yee!" Nightline blurted in surprise as he was pulled in, not expecting such an outburst. He soon accepted the hug and returned it with much enthusiasm.

"You should have told me you were coming," Iris said as they broke apart, motioning for him to come inside, "I would've cleaned up a little.

"Yeah, sorry. This was kind of a last minute trip," he replied, before glancing back at Cherry Blossom. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought a guest with me this time."

Seeing the little Pegasus, Iris couldn't help but beam. She was quick to lean over the stairs towards the Filly, saying, "awe, I don't mind at all. Who's this little cutie?"

"My daughter."

Upon hearing those words, Iris fell straight forward in surprise and onto her face with an audible thump, leaving her flank sticking up into the air. Only a moment later, she shot back up onto all four hooves and looked at Nightline with wide eyes.

"Daughter?"

After a few passes of Iris's gaze between the two, Nightline finally replied, "I'll explain inside. May I?"

Iris was quick to nod, leading the two into her home. It had been a long while since Nightline had seen the inside of his friend's home. Though it was for the most part tidy, there were stacks of paper and mail in random locations. The three went straight to the living room, which was designed in a simple manor. There were only four pieces of furniture: a sofa, a wooden table set before it, and two chairs on the adjacent sides. Nightline and Cherry Blossom took their place on the sofa, while Iris sat in the left chair. As they got comfortable, Nightline noticed that among the papers on the table, the gifted copy of his book, "The Witch of Sorrow's Fall," sat collecting dust. It looked as if it hadn't been opened yet, meaning Iris hadn't taken the time to read it. Though Nightline knew she had already heard him read the story, the sight still saddened him.

"So, a daughter, hmm? I wouldn't have expected you to settle down so quickly," Iris said, her voice still full of shock, yet also hinting sadness.

"Me neither. But, life is a little crazy," Nightline replied.

After a pause, she asked, "so, who's the lucky mother?"

Both Nightline and Cherry Blossom were confused, as neither knew the identity of either of Cherry's parents. "I don't know."

Iris' eyes once again went wide, but this time she glared at the stallion as if he had done something terrible, yet she said nothing. At first, Nightline couldn't figure out what she was upset about. It soon occurred to him, though, that he had yet to inform her that Cherry Blossom was his adopted daughter, and not his blood. Realizing this, Nightline knew what went wrong in the communication.

"How many mares have you-"

"Wait! No no no, you misunderstand," the Stallion blurted, nearly leaping from the sofa to prevent Iris from finishing her phrase.

The Pegasus was confused once again. "Ok then, explain," she demanded.

"I don't know who Cherry Blossom's mother is because I adopted her," Nightline explained.

Once again, the pink Pegasus began to glance between the Filly and stallion before allowing her eyes to rest upon the latter. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she fell back into her chair. "Sweet Celestia, Nightline."

The Unicorn couldn't help but laugh, while the silent Cherry Blossom sat beside him, patient and confused. Prince Purceus also stuck his head from her bag and cocked it in confusion. When the two adult ponies returned to an almost normal composure, Iris turned her attention on the Filly.

"I hope this guy isn't too much of a ditz as a Dad," she joked. "I'm Iris. Iris Pinkberry."

"Hi," Cherry Blossom replied, smiling sweetly.

"So was giving me a heart attack the only reason you came down here?"

Chuckling, Nightline replied, "no, actually. In fact, I have something else to give you. A very special ticket."

"Ticket!" The Pegasus suddenly exclaimed, jumping from her seat and rushing out of the room. "Did I pack my ticket?" After a good deal of shuffling and a few minutes had passed, Iris returned to the room with a look of relief on her face. "Thanks for that reminder."

"What's all the rush?" He asked.

"Oh, I've been invited to be featured in an art show in Trottingham. How they got wind of me that far out in Equestria I'll never know, but I absolutely couldn't refuse. But for some reason, I need my own ticket just to get in," Iris explained, retaking her seat.

"Congratulations," Nightline said, remembering his recent time spent in Trottingham and wondering if he had played any part in them finding out about her. "Anyways, I wanted to bring you this."

Iris' eyes sparkled as they rested upon a golden ticket, magically hovering over to her. "Is this…?"

"It is. I was invited to attend the Grand Galloping Gala, and am allowed a plus one. Would you like to go?"

Though Cherry Blossom had heard of the Grand Galloping Gala, she didn't know anything about it. Only that it was a big party for all the grown up ponies. She had very little understanding of why the pink Pegasus before her had been struck speechless, nor why her eyes sparkled at the sight of the golden ticket. Perhaps Nightline had used his spell on her? He was using magic, after all. This theory was debunked quickly as Iris retrieved the ticket from the air.

"Me? Don't you want to take your mom, or Mayor Mare, or some political dignitary?"

"Are you crazy? There's nopony else I'd rather have there with me," Nightline replied, smiling sweetly.

Iris couldn't help but beam, so full of joy that her eyes nearly began to water. "Thank you, Nightline. When is it?"

"One week from today."

Hearing those words, Iris' composure changed. She immediately looked him in the eyes, now seeming to be full of regret. Saying nothing, she let her eyes fall to the ticket sitting on her hoof.

"What is it?" Nightline asked, worry in his voice.

"One week from today?" She asked in reply.

"Yes."

Iris fell silent once more, glancing towards the door frame she had previously disappeared and reappeared through. After a few moments, her composure seemed to return to one more relaxed and happy.

"It's nothing. I would love to go with you."

 **Next chapter may take about as long as this one did, so sit tight! And be ready, because next chapter marks the end of Nightline's journey through Season 1 of MLP: FiM. Review!**


	17. The Grand Galloping Gala

**Finally done! This one was hard. Reviews were funny, but nothing new to address so read on!**

Chapter 17

"Nightline, what's taking so long?" Cherry Blossom asked through their bedroom door.

"I'm almost ready," he called back.

Within their bedroom in Castle Canterlot, Nightline Wordsmith was getting ready for the largest and proclaimed greatest party in all of Equestria: the Grand Galloping Gala. All throughout the previous week, the stallion had been making preparations. He had the outit Rarity had made him tailored to fit his larger body, and made sure his mane and tail were properly groomed. Following this, he aided the other castle staff in preparing the ballroom, courtyard, atrium, and garden for the coming guests. Even little Cherry Blossom had played her part helping in the kitchen, a place which she had come to enjoy spending her time anyways. The seven days spent working came and went quickly until the day of the party arrived. Nightline had started dressing for the occasion at dusk, and by the time he was ready, it was nearly time to lower the sun and raise the moon.

Elsewhere in the castle, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were finalizing the decor and catering for the Gala. Both Princesses seemed less eager than all others who would be attending, each for their own reasons. Celestia, who frequented the party, knew that it was far less exciting than others expected. She was also not allowed to have her own fun, as she was expected to stand atop the atrium stairs and greet her guests. Though part of her had high hopes for this particular Grand Galloping Gala, she mostly dreaded the hours of labor ahead of her.

Luna disliked this night for her own reasons. Though she worked just as hard as her sister to prepare, she could not abandon her duties of the night to partake in the party. Though in previous years she had no real incentive to go, this one was different. A new interest to her would be attending the Gala, and this interest would be dancing with one other than her. This thought was a great disappointment to the Moon Princess as she supervised the layout of food in the Ballroom. As she checked off the final batch of pastries, Luna glanced upwards to see that the sun was nearly at its final descent and that soon, she would be needed to raise the moon.

"Nightline!" Cherry Blossom whined, eyeballing the locked door. Almost immediately, it was pulled open to reveal the tidy room as well as Nightline Wordsmith, draped in his nice vest, fedora, and sunglasses.

"Ready," he stated, exiting the room.

"It took you long enough," the filly replied, turning to walk beside him as they made their way towards the castle exit.

"Alright, remember how to behave while you're at your friends house. No scary stories, be thankful for whatever they cook for dinner, and don't stay up too late."

"I know," said Cherry. "You've only told me a few hundred times."

Nightline couldn't help but laugh. Normally, he would have gotten stern upon hearing her give such attitude, but he knew that he was being a bit overbearing. He was anxious both for the party and for the fact that this would be Cherry Blossom's first sleepover. The two walked more or less in silence through the streets of Canterlot. Many businesses were either fully stocked and ready for excess business from visiting ponies or completely shut down as their managers were preparing for the party. The streets were already bustling with Canterlot residents and guests from different towns. None yet were making their way towards the castle, as the gates would not publically open until the moon was raised. When the two ponies arrived at their destination, Cherry Blossom put on a sweet display for all passers by. Smiling, she rushed Nightline and wrapped him in the strongest hug she could manage.

"Have fun tonight," she said.

"You too. I'll pick you up tomorrow afternoon," he replied, pulling out of the hug.

"I'll be ready. Bye!"

With that, the little filly vanished into the house before them. Nightline smiled as he watched her go, letting out a content sigh before turning and beginning the trek back to Castle Canterlot. As he walked, the stallion began to notice the diversity of guests filling up the streets of the town. Ponies had come from every sector of Equestria, and almost all were dressed in extravagant suits and dresses. Nightline also noticed that Rarity's sense of style was still as good as ever, for as he made his way past the various guests, he found that more than one mare took the time to second-glance him. Seeing this, he couldn't help but smile.

Being a resident of the castle, the guards at the closed gate didn't hesitate to allow Nightline entry as he approached. As he entered the castle, he admired the decor. Everything looked just as amazing as the stallion expected, and this promised an amazing evening. Without wasting any more time, Nightline made his way to one of the many studies on the third floor where he knew the Princesses would be. Sure enough, he found them out on the balcony of the study making idle conversation as they waited for the proper time to change day into night.

"It's almost time," Nightline said, announcing his presence.

"That it is," Celestia agreed. "Good evening, Nightline."

Nightline bowed cordially.

"Cherry Blossom has already been dropped off?" asked Luna.

"She has."

Celestia smiled. "Good. It would be torture to keep her locked up here knowing that there's a party downstairs."

"My thoughts exactly. That's why I offered her the option of the sleepover," he replied.

"Excuse me, but was I not the one to give you that idea?" Luna joked, causing her and her sister to laugh.

"Nah, you were just dreaming," Nightline replied, continuing the laughter.

Celestia had to put their behavior to a halt, however, saying, "Luna, it's time."

Nodding, the Moon Princess turned from her friend and faced outwards towards the open sky, where the sun began to vanish over the horizon in tandem with Celestia's magic. Only moments later, Luna's magic pulled the moon from over the opposite horizon and placed it high in the sky. Nightline still marveled at the strength of Alicorn Magic; to change day into night and night into day so easily amazed him.

"I will go and prepare to greet the guests. Good luck tonight, Sister," said Celestia.

"To you as well. Goodnight," Luna replied, and with that, the Sun Princess vanished over the balcony. Nightline replaced her position on said balcony. "And good luck to you, Nightline."

"What do I need luck for?" the Unicorn asked, glancing amusedly at her.

Luna smiled. "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon. I must go now, as those not at the party tonight are beginning to fall asleep. Good night."

Before the stallion could say even a slight farewell, his friend was gone. Into the air she went, and flew out and over the town of Canterlot. Though Nightline suspected nothing, as she flew away, Princess Luna was filled with regret. The more she contemplated what she wished to have with the Ivory Unicorn, the more her heart ached. She wished beyond all else to be the one dancing with him tonight, and yet with her duties holding her, she could not. Yet as the Alicorn passed into the dream realm, an idea struck her and a look of determination painted her face.

As soon as the moon took its place in the sky, each and every attendee of the Grand Galloping Gala began the walk towards the castle. The balcony on which Nightline Stood had an unobstructed view of the road the guests were walking along. The stallion was amazed to see that the road was filled side to side and many tens of yards back with ponies all walking in what appeared to be a synchronized dance. Nightline was surprised to see that leading the walk were six familiar ponies from his hometown: Twilight Sparkle and her band of friend. When they came close enough, he could even hear a song begin with a chorus of voices all being led by a single alternating solo. Each pony singing a solo voiced their expectations and wishes for the night, but Nightline was deaf to the lyrics. Instead, he scanned over the synchronized crowd knowing that somewhere among them was his plus one and beloved somepony, Iris Pinkberry. Yet as he scanned, he could not find her. There were far too many ponies to sift through. Still he tried, all the while taking part in the musical march.

 _At the Gala,_

 _I will see her,_

 _my very special somepony._

 _I will greet her,_

 _I will hold her,_

 _as I dance with Pinkberry._

 _Now our hearts will beat so strongly,_

 _tonight at the gala_.

With those final words, Nightline rushed with a racing heart out to the main Atrium. He managed to get out of the castle before the guests flooded the doors which allowed him to take a place beside the main gates, waiting to welcome his plus one. Being closer, it was much easier for him to discern each individual pony. And so he continued to scan them all as they passed by. He scanned and scanned and scanned some more, waiting for endless minutes for Iris to appear. The suspense of the wait caused perspiration to appear on his forehead. It wasn't long before he could see the approach of the back of the line, making him that much more anxious as Iris could only be so much farther away. The smaller the group of remaining ponies became, the more the young stallion wondered why he could not seem to spy her. And when the final mare passed through the castle gates, he continues to stare, paralyzed by his own confusion. For minutes he stood, puzzled by the lack of his invitee and struggling to find an answer.

"Maybe she's running late?" He thought at first.

Satisfied enough with this conclusion, Nightline stood by the gates for many stacking minutes, never losing his formal posture for fear that the moment he did would be the moment of her arrival. Track of time was lost to his mind, as was the amount of it used up in waiting. But after enough had passed, the stallion again began to wonder.

"I must have missed her when she walked in," he said to himself. "There were a lot of ponies, after all. I'll have to apologize for keeping her waiting all this time."

Determined, Nightline hurried into the castle. The main atrium was absolutely full of ponies. Earth, Pegasi, and Unicorn alike all shared small talk in pairs or groups, yet no matter how many he checked, Nightline could not find one which contained Iris Pinkberry. Believing that she was most likely not in the main atrium, he moved on to the ballroom where classical music was played, however none were actually dancing. There were much fewer ponies within the Ballroom than there were in the Atrium, so it was easy to scan the room from a standing point in the center.

As much as he looked, Nightline still could not spot his companion. In fact, only one pony in the room shared a color similar to hers. A mare, standing before the stage where the music was being played. She was pink, with an only slightly darker pink main which curled and poofed like cotton candy. She wore a dress decorated in balloons and lollipops, beautifully designed with a familiar touch of fabulosity. And yet, joyful as her attire appeared, the look upon this earth ponies face was forlorn.

"Pinky Pie?" Nightline asked, approaching her.

The Pony immediately perked up, and even smiled on sight of a friendly face. "Oh, hi Nightline," she greeted in her squeaky voice.

"Hey, it's good to see you," he replied, smiling. "Are you enjoying the party?"

Pinky frowned, seeming annoyed. "I guess, but it's not exactly what I expected."

"Don't say that," he replied encouragingly. "Make this night your own. It'll turn out to be the best night ever; you'll see." Pinky seemed to gain hope at his words. "Hey, have you seen Iris?"

"Iris? Oh, yeah! She got the most amazing dress. I'm telling you, it looked amazing."

Hearing this, Nightline felt relieved. "Oh, good. I'll bet it does. Can you point me in the right direction?"

"Direction to what?" Pinky asked innocently.

"To Iris."

"Oh, she's not hear."

The Unicorn froze. "What?"

"Iris isn't hear. She's at an art show in Trottingham. Didn't she tell you she got invited?"

After a pause, Nightline replied, "she did." "But she didn't say it was tonight," he added in his own mind. Everything about the Wordsmith's posture sulked. Smiling at the pink mare before him, he said, "thanks for letting me know. Remember, make this night your own."

Before Pinky could reply, Nightline turned and walked away. He trotted slowly across the ballroom floor, making his way for the atrium. From there, he padded up the stairs and past Princess Celestia, who stood greeting a long line of party guests. Beside her stood Twilight Sparkle, who looked rather distressed. Once clear of the party's view, Nightline let his entire body sulk as he walked and allowed the reality of the situation hit him.

"She isn't coming."

The stallion went straight to his room, no longer wishing to prolong the night. The door closed softly behind him, cutting off what little of the noise from the party remained. This left him in complete silence. In the silence, nothing could be heard but a single pair of tears plashing down on the stone floor. Nightline Wordsmith could feel nothing but pain within every fiber of his being, and yet he became indifferent. After that single pair of tears fell, no others followed. With a sigh, he removed his formal clothing and brushed out his mane before dawning his comforting cardigan. Staring mornfully at his pillow, he began to pull back the covers. He froze when a familiar voice rang in his ears from his balcony.

"Should you not be at the Gala?"

Startled, Nightline turned to see an alicorn dazzling in starlight. Princess Luna stood on his bedroom balcony, looking in with a sweet smile.

"Luna? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be watching over the dream realm?

She hesitated to reply. That night, Luna had worked excessively in hopes that she would be able to set all in equestria into a peaceful slumber in time to enjoy the party in Nightline's company. This specific detail escaped her explanation.

"I wished to partake in the party, so I finished early," she said. "Why aren't you doing the same?"

Nightline lowered his eyes. "The party didn't exactly measure up to expectation."

The sadness radiating from the Unicorn was nearly tangible. Luna noticed this instantly, and her melancholy posture vanished just as quickly.

"Did you not enjoy your dance?"

"The dance didn't happen. Iris never arrived."

The princess's eyes went wide. "What?"

"Yeah, can you believe that? All this prep and she doesn't come," he replied, attempting to sound sarcastic and upbeat, but failing. His sadness showed through like platinum, revealed by the tears welling up in his eyes once more. "I'm sorry, Princess, but I think I'm just gonna go to bed."

Seeing her friend in such a state as he was in left Princess Luna hot with anger, but more than that, full of determination. Creasing her eyes, she ignited the lavender aura of her horn and enveloped Nightline's body in magic, pulling him away from the bed and towards her. With a yelp, he spun himself around to face her, only to find that she had also turned and took flight off of the balcony. Nightline quickly realized that her magic had tethered him to her, and so with every inch she flew, he was pulled along with her. This presented a problem as the balcony grew closer and closer.

"Wait! Wait, no no no no no!" Was all the Unicorn could manage before his hooves made contact with the guard rails. No sooner than they did was he pulled from the balcony and into the air, where he was magically suspended and pulled along even farther.

Luna, after securing Nightline in her magic, intended to give him the night he had wanted. She quickly took to the skies and pulled him along, levitating him magically off of the balcony despite his fearful objections. This done, the Princess brought him to a point outside one of the high windows of the ballroom where the music could be heard. Once she had chosen a strategic location out of sight from the party itself, Luna cast a spell which would briefly allow herself and Nightline to walk on the air as if it were a smooth stone floor.

It was a strange sensation for the Unicorn as he set his hooves down on the air, which felt as solid as any ground. Confused, he asked, "Luna, why'd you bring me out here?"

"It isn't right that any attendee of the Grand Galloping Gala be denied their special night, let alone in the way you have been. So, I will give you the night you have been waiting for." The Stallion was still slightly confused, however he had a vague idea of what she meant. His idea was confirmed when she bowed and entered the starting pose of a classical ponish dance, luckily one of the few he was well versed in. "May I have this dance?"

Though at first hesitant, Nightline couldn't help but smile at her gesture. Bowing as well and matching her position, he replied, "Princess Luna, I would be honored to share a dance with you."

At his words, it was Luna's turn to beam. She couldn't hide the joy which flooded her heart, and without a moment more passing, the two began the dance. As they danced, Nightline thought to himself, "maybe this night wasn't wasted after all."

 **Gotta take a short break from writing, but the next chapter should be up within the month so stay tuned! Leave me a review for this bit!**


	18. Beyond the Borders of Equestria

**This one took forever to write! But here it is. This is more or less filler and comedy. Still enjoyable, so have at it!**

Chapter 18

Crickets chirped as the early morning sun again began to rise over Equestria, shedding light upon its capital: Canterlot. Seeing the town, you wouldn't think that a few months prior it had been struck by an avalanche, nor would you believe that only a few weeks before had the tidy place been host to the largest party in Equestria. And at the tidy town's crest stood Castle Canterlot, and within, the few resident ponies began to rise. Nightline Wordsmith stood from his bed and yawned before stretching the sleep from his body. Near him, Cherry Blossom also rose and did the same.

"Good morning," Nightline greeted, using a magically held brush to straighten out his mane.

"Morning."

"You ready for breakfast?"

Hearing that word, the little filly perked up. "Yes!" she shouted.

Nightline couldn't help but laugh. Smiling the entire way, the stallion led the walk towards the kitchen. Most of the walk was in silence, until the little pegasus spoke.

"When's your next job gonna be?" she asked.

Though he hadn't said anything, Nightline had been wondering the same thing. He hadn't been sent anywhere since his teaching job in Trottingham, which was over a month ago. If he didn't get back to working, sooner or later his savings would dry up.

"I don't know. We'll have to ask."

It wasn't long after he replied that the two entered the dining hall, where as usual, both princesses were waiting. Princess Luna, though tired, still seemed quite cheerful when Nightline entered. Celestia, after offering her greeting, returned to reading a paper which Nightline hadn't noticed. When all greetings were exchange, he and Cherry took their respective seats and awaited the arrival of their food.

"Princess Celestia," said Nightline, grabbing her attention, "when will my next assignment be?"

Hearing his question, both Princesses exchanged a weary glance. This made Nightline slightly nervous; never had the idea of giving him a mission made Celestia nor Luna anxious.

"What's wrong?"

Celestia sighed. "Nightline, we do have a job lined up, but my sister and I have been in debate about whether or not to give it to you."

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No no, Wordsmith. It's just that this particular job poses a significant risk," Luna quickly replied.

"Risk?"

"Indeed. This would be your most dangerous job yet."

With determination, Nightline said, "I knew there would be risks when I accepted this position."

"Just know that if we offer you this assignment, you have the option to decline," Celestia replied.

The unicorn nodded. "Cherry Blossom, go get ready for school." The filly left without hesitation.

"Alright," Celestia began, "It has long been rumored that the race of Dragons known to us is not simply a race of animals, but rather a functioning society with more violent tendencies. For years, I have dismissed these rumors as just that, but a few days ago, I received evidence that suggests they are true and where the society might be centered. After consulting with Luna, we have decided to send a single ambassador along with an offering of gemstones to attempt to create a peace treaty between us. This would be your job."

Nightline thought for a moment when Celestia paused. She held an expression of anxiety, shared by her sister. "Alright," he said, "what are the dangers?"

"To start," Luna replied, "The location we have decided is their most likely home is to the southeast. The main danger of this location is that it is beyond the Equestrian borders, where we alicorns have no political power. The insignia of Canterlot will do you no good. What's more, if an undesirable character discovered your origins, they would most likely take you hostage and hold you for a considerable ransom."

"So I'll take a guard convoy. They should be able to keep me safe."

"They would, but taking any kind of military force is out of the question," the Sun Princess said. "From what we know, the dragons are a tempermental race. Taking any kind of royal guards or military forces could very well be confused for an attack or declaration of war, and that is a risk we can't take."

"In a normal circumstance, we could simply have the guards stay hidden or away altogether during the negotiations, but because we do not have the exact location of this society, you could be on top of it and spotted without any time for the guards to hide. Because we cannot risk starting a war, you must go alone and without anything which would tie you to us," Luna added.

"If you accept, that is," said Celestia. "Your one and only defense will be your magic. You will leave in an unmarked air balloon carrying our offering of gemstones and only what you need to sustain yourself. A supply of bits will be provided in case you need to purchase any necessities."

After hearing the outline of what dangers he would face on the mission, Nightline became much less eager to accept. He was ready to decline quickly, however a thought continue to gnaw on his conscience like a swarm of parasprites.

"What will happen if I decline?"

Both princesses hesitated to reply. After exchanging a glance, the eldest spoke. "We would send another; more experienced but without the advantage of your magic. And if you or your substitute should fail, we may never have the dragons as allies, nor even have peace with them."

"Alright, so not much at stake here," Nightline said facetiously, leaning back in his chair.

Seeing his posture, Luna's also changed to one more concerned for Nightline's wellbeing than that of Equestria. "Wordsmith, there would be no shame in declining."

The unicorn couldn't help but smile. It was a comfort to know that he had someone to rely on caring for his safe return. "I know, Luna. When do I leave?"

Four days later, Nightline wordsmith boarded a brown unmarked air balloon. Instead of his usual grey sweater and brown leather bags, he wore a rugged pullover cloak the same color as the balloon with burlap sacks in place of his saddlebags. Each was filled with food which wouldn't spoil such as bread, cheese, water, and boiled eggs. He was also given just over one hundred bits for any expenses he would come across. Loaded into the balloon with him was a well crafted wooden chest held together by iron. It was closed and locked with a key which Nightline wore around his neck beneath his cloak. The unicorn had seen what was within the chest; a bounty of gold and gems of many varieties along with a letter which he was to present to whichever dragon was in charge.

"Remember, Nightline, that if you are captured, we will not send a battalion to rescue you until a week after you are meant to return. If we receive a demand for ransom which is too high-"

"I know, Princess," he interrupted, giving Celestia a reassuring smile.

"To tartarus with a military battalion," Luna said with determination. "I will come to your aid myself." Nightline couldn't help but laugh. His laughter was cut short, however, when Cherry Blossom ran forwards to embrace her adopted father. She was trembling.

"Don't go!" she exclaimed, obviously afraid for his safety. "What if there are monsters, or storms, or pirates, or-"

"Oh, there will be," Nightline said bluntly, surprising the Filly who expected to be comforted. He then leaned down to face her at eye level, a soft smile on his face. "And you know what? I'll face them all and come out without a scratch. Because I have to come back to take care of you."

With watering eyes, Cherry Blossom fell into his embrace once more. After a few minutes more spent with goodbyes, Nightline closed the door which served as the balloon's entrance and lit the pilot fire which began the ascent. The stallion continued to smile back at his friends and daughter, watching as they grew continuously smaller in the distance. Soon enough, they became but specs in front of Castle Canterlot before vanishing. It soon became apparent to the wayward Unicom that travel by balloon was much slower than travel by chariot. For Canterlot to vanish in the distance took the better portion of an hour; a feat which usually took less than half the time.

"Looks like I could be up here for a while," he said to himself. "I should've brought a book."

"Purrr," a feline chirp agreed from near the baggage.

With a creased brow, Nightline closed his eyes as if to pray, saying, "please tell me there's a baby lynx on board."

From the origin of the noise, shuffling could be heard. Only moments later, a small cat with a bob tail popped out from the area where Nightline had stored his belongings.

The stallion sighed. "You little stowaway." He couldn't help but smile as the little feline approached, though, because it removed the sense of loneliness he had been developing as the distance grew between him and his home. Prince Purceus showed no regret for his actions, scampering over to his owner with a kitty smile painted across his face. "I guess this is what the Princess meant by an unexpected expense."

"Purrr," Percy confirmed, making Nightline laugh.

By nightfall, the two voyagers still hadn't yet sailed beyond the Equestrian skies. As the sun went down and was replaced by the moon, they finished a shared ration of bread with cheese and water; not the most desireable meal, but welcome sustenance nonetheless. With their food eaten, the two curled up using the baggage in the balloon as a pillow and swiftly fell asleep. Almost as soon as the stallion had closed his eyes, his slumber was invaded by a frantic purple alicorn.

"Wordsmith, finally. I have some grave news," she quickly said, grabbing Nightline's attention immediately.

"What? What's happened? Is Cherry Blossom alright?"

"She is wrought with worry and her tears fall like rain, but she is unharmed."

"Has the castle been attacked?"

"No, nothing so severe, but-"

"Then tell me, what happened?"

"Nightline, it's Purceus. He's vanished," Luna finally explained.

The stallion was silenced, forced by the mediocrity of the situation to reboot his entire mind. When his thought process was complete, Nightline burst out in a fit of laughter.

Luna, appalled by his reaction, scoffed and said, "I hardly think this is a laughing matter. Your beloved pet is missing and your daughter has cried herself into a sorrowful dream which even I struggled to make peaceful."

"No," Nightline replied, "it really is. Percy stowed away on my balloon; he's here with me."

At his words, Princess luna was also forced to completely reboot her brain. When the reality of the situation finally sank in, she too burst out in a fit of laughter, accompanied by Nightline who broke out in his second.

"That little troublemaker," she said when she was able to calm down.

"I know! And now I'll have to make a pitstop just to make sure I've got enough food for the two of us. Still, at least I'm not alone out here now."

"You were never alone," she replied.

"Yeah, I know."

"You carry with you the will of the Alicorn Princesses, and the spirit of Equestria."

Nightline smiled. "Yeah, but the Spirit of Equestria doesn't look over the side of the basket, see how high we are, and get so scared that it's nub of a tail turns into a cotton puff."

Laughing, Luna replied, "No, I suppose it doesn't. Have you crossed the border yet?"

"I didn't while I was awake. By morning, I should be nearing the dragon lands."

"Well, time moves quickly while you dream. I would bet that you're now outside equestria. Morning approaches faster than you may think. What shall I tell Cherry Blossom? Have you seen any monsters, storms, or pirates?"

Smiling, Nightline stood and looked out into the textureless distance of the dream. "Not a single danger but height has faced me yet."

Almost on cue of his words, a tremor shook the entire dream around the two. They both looked around, confused by the phenomenon which only Luna had seen before. Nightline looked to her for answers; answers which she readily supplied.

"Something is interfering with your body. You must awaken."

Before he could reply, a flash from the Alicorn's horn sent Nightline flying from his dream. He woke in the air balloon with a start, and became immediately aware of a change from the previous night. The air was coarse and stale, and winds ripped through his mane with violent force. Around him, pale clouds gathered and seemed to be unaffected by the winds; they simply moved calmly. Seeing this, Nightline began to desperately pilot the balloon towards the clouds in hopes that they would shelter him.

"Right, storms," he thought.

Though it was difficult to do, Nightline proved his theory correct when he passed into the dusty cloud. Though it smelled of dirt and grime, it provided the shelter he needed. Prince Purceus found himself shelter within Nightline's cloak, which protected him from the stench and instead allowed him to smell only his mater's scent. Sighing, the stallion allowed himself to relax and come to terms with the obvious fact that he was no longer in Equestria.

"Alright, now for the dragon lands."

The unicorn set to work quickly, locating the sun to get his bearings before setting his course towards the rumored location. His work was halted, however, when he heard what sounded like a firing canon. Nightline reluctantly turned to the direction he had heard the noise from, and within moments, what looked like a harpoon emerged at blinding speed towards his balloon. Crying out in fear, he retreated to the opposite side of the basket and turned again just in time to see the harpoon pierce its structure. The stallion was forced to stand and suck in his gut just to avoid being impaled himself. Luckily, the harpoon was pulled back to hook into the wall it had originally pierced. With a deep breath, Nightline walked over to inspect his balloon's new accessory. He soon found that it was attached to a chain which led off into the clouded distance and out of sight. No sooner was this observation made than the chain suddenly tightened and pulled the basket with it, throwing Nightline to the ground with a yelp. By the time he was able to get his legs beneath him once again, the origin of the harpoon was already emerging from the clouds in the form of an enormous airship with flaps of many colors spreading out from the top down.

"And pirates," Nightline said, his ears falling flat to his head.

The airship, now fully emerged, grew larger with every inch the balloon was pulled in. As the distance closed, Nightline could hear the chain rattling as it returned to the ship, accompanied by the sound of gears within turning and clanging. Prince Purceus quickly got out of sight, barely invisible as he trembled beneath Nightline's cloak. When the basket of the balloon was pulled snugly to the side of the airship, all seemed to go quiet. Not the wordsmith nor his feline friend could hear any more commotion, and from their lower point within the basket, could not see onto the deck. For what felt like hours, the two sat and waited, too afraid to move themselves. They waited and waited, yet heard no sound, caught whiff of nothing but the clouds, and saw naught by the harpoon still hooked into the far wall of the basket. Nightline began to wonder if there was any substantial creature on board the airship at all, but he regretted that wonder immediately. For the silence was broken, then, by alternating sounds of a light tap to the thump of wood on wood, Nightline assumed because whatever pirate was on board possessed a peg leg. The sound grew closer and closer until finally, the dark shadow of a hulking bipedal figure loomed over the interior of the basket.

"Captain!" shouted the figure in a female voice, "We've caught somethin' good."

Suddenly, the pitter-patter of multiple more sets of feet began to shuffle on deck, all moving towards the balloon. Within moments, three more figures appeared. Two equal and larger in size than the first, and one which was no larger than Spike.

"Oooh, let me have 'em, Captain, let me have 'em!" one of the newer figures, also female, said.

"What's in the chest, little pony?" said the largest of the four, this one male.

All voices were silenced when yet another set of feet impacted the deck behind the present figures with great force. The new character walked towards the balloon slowly, as if purposefully building tension. When it finally came into view, it stepped in front of the four already present and became fully visible. It was some kind of large bird, walking on two legs and dressed in pirate garb. Obviously female, this one seemed to carry herself with much more confidence than the already terrifying crew.

"Great work, First Mate Mullet. What a catch," she said to the original figure, lowering the shining blade of her sword down to be threateningly close to Nightline's face. The stallion was speechless. "Prepare to be boarded."

"Captain Celaeno, your orders?" the original figure who Nightline now identified as the first mate asked.

"Welcome our guests to the ship."

With cries of sadistic amusement, the three largest of the crew members jumped down into the basket. It was all Nightline could do just to avoid injury as he was roughly grabbed and thrown onto the ship, causing the burlap sacks strapped to his sides to painfully jam into his ribs. As he landed, Prince Purceus was thrown from within the cloak. To the Unicorn's relief, he was unharmed and quickly scampered off to a hiding place.

"Boyle, get the chest!" The captain ordered.

"Aye cap'm!" the larger male bird replied, using one feathered arm and one with a hook on the end to retrieve what would've been the tribute to the dragons. Seeing it stolen brought great sorrow to the stallion's heart.

"Stop!" He pleaded desperately. "I don't know who you are but you have no right!"

Nightline's words seemed to catch the crew's attention in a bad way, making him quickly regret them. "No right? Don't know who we are? These ponies are always the same. Am I right, first mate?"

"Right ya are, cap'm."

"Let me inform you. I am Captain Celaeno. Me and my crew of bilge rats here own these skies, and everything in them including whatever bounty you've got locked away in that chest. Now do us a favor and open it," the captain said, earning snickers from her crew.

Growing afraid, Nightline could see no motive of free negotiation to free himself from capture, nor retrieve the dragon's tribute. Sighing, he decided it best to not try and instead allowed his spell to ensue. His horn was quickly engulfed in its aura, and his voice quickly became like silk.

"There is nothing in the chest of any value to you, nor will I be. So let me go and give back what you have taken."

Every present crew member took on a glazed look, and either stumbled about or moved to do as commanded, retrieving the chest. It seemed to Nightline that they weren't accustomed to being under any spell, as their movements were sloppy and uncoordinated. Captain Celaeno, however, didn't budge. Instead, she looked about at her crew with surprise and frustration before turning again to face the stallion. With a furious glare, she sent her foot into Nightline's chest and knocked him painfully to his back. Before he could even catch his breath, the captain's sword was pointed to where her foot had just impacted, threatening to run him through. He was frozen with fear and surprise; none had ever resisted his magic.

"You weak-willed dodos! Put the chest down!" She screamed, before glaring at the stallion. "Open it, now!"

Nightline did nothing. He simply stared, his eyes full of both fear and stubborn determination. Without his magic, he hoped that the silent treatment would win him the day. It only seemed to anger Celaeno, however, evident by her pressing the tip of her sword to his sternum.

"Open the chest," she commanded softly.

Again, he offered no reply. Creasing her brow, the captain dragged the tip of the sword up his chest and towards his throat, leading the Unicorn to believe that his luck had run out. Surprising him, though, the sword left his body completely and was pulled away to hover in front of his face, where to his great disappointment, he saw the string of the necklace which held the key. With a malicious grin, Celaeno grabbed the key and ripped it painfully from around Nightline's neck. Laughing, she walked over and swiftly removed the lock, opening the trunk to reveal the heap of gold and gemstones, along with a letter set on top of it all. While the majority of the crew began picking up and admiring the treasure, Captain Celaeno took the letter in hand and silently read it. Only moments later, she looked at Nightline with complete astonishment.

"A royal," she stated, silencing the chatter of her crew.

"Come again?" said the large male bird.

"We've got ourselves a Royal, straight from the capital of Equestria itself!"

The entire crew all immediately looked excited, knowing that they had something more valuable than a single chest full of treasure could ever be. Grinning, they began to discuss their next move.

"We should sell 'em on the Black market. He'll have a nice price."

"No, we'll hold him for ransom! Those ponies value each other so much, they'll pay whatever we can sell him for and more."

"No!" Nightline shouted, silencing them all. "I'll be worthless to you on any market, and you'll receive no ransom for my return. I promise you that."

Captain Celaeno laughed at his words. "Oh I disagree."

"Then finish the letter! Those gems and gold which you've stolen were meant as a peace offering to the race of dragons said to live out here. I accepted this job knowing that I could be captured, and had to consent to that knowledge with the agreement that if I should be, no ransom would be paid for my return and my position in Equestria will be removed. I will be less valuable than the least valuable Pony in Equestria."

Unbelieving, the Captain quickly skimmed over the remainder of the letter, and when she finished, she sighed in acceptance of his story. "It seems we have to believe him," she said. "But we haven't stolen anything, Pony. No, we've rescued this treasure from a gruesome end inside the belly of those scaled ingrates. As for you, this treasure's executioner, what do you think, Mullet?"

"The plank, Cap'm?" The first mate suggested.

"Aye. The plank!"

Without hesitation, the crew set to work. While the largest of the male birds grabbed and jostled Nightline into position beside the mast, Mullet took a long wooden plank and slid it through a slot in the wood to let it hang over the open skies.

"Up you get, Pony!" Boyle ordered, forcing the unicorn onto the plank as he struggled, yet he was powerless against the bird's strength.

Once Nightline was in place atop the mast, Captain Celaeno came forth once again with her sword drawn. The stallion's heart raced, and his eyes darted around him for any way out of what he knew was coming. Behind him, a fatal fall patiently waited for its next victim. In front, a collection of sharp blades in the hands of pirates waited for him to make a move so that those blades could wet themselves with blood. Nightline had no magic to use, nor could he overpower the brutes. He could not fly, even with his best levitation spell, and certainly was no Daring Do in combat. No matter which way he looked at it, there was no escaping his fate.

"Any last words?" Celaeno mocked, forcing Nightline to step backwards with the tip of her sword. When he remained silent, the Captain smirked. "Very well."

As she raised her sword, threatening to strike Nightline then and there if he did not jump, the stallion clenched his eyes shut. In his mind, he said his goodbyes and apologies to all of his loved ones. The fraction of a second his eyes were closed felt like an eternity, waiting to be cleaved in two by the captain's cutlass, but no such experience came to pass. Instead, the sound of feline growls and the pained screaming of Celaeno filled Nightline's ears.

"Get this thing off of me!" she bellowed.

Nightline opened his eyes to find that Captain Celaeno had dropped her sword, and instead of forcing him to jump was flailing about as a blur of a cat ran about her body like a climbing tree, tearing into her clothing and pulling feathers from flesh.

"Percy!" he shouted joyously.

"I'll get it, Cap'm!" Boyle shouted, rushing forth to save her. He instantly regretted his choice, however, as Percy launched himself off of the captain's face to attack.

Celaeno was knocked off balance and fell after Percy leaped, immediately followed by Boyle following her to the ground. The large male bird began to scream as well, writhing on the ground as clumps of feathers flew from his body like he was being hit with a feather pillow. With each and every one of the pirates distracted with the task of taking on Prince Purceus, Nightline took the opportunity to jump back down to the deck and flee towards his he reached the side of the mast where it was docked, a flying cutlass found itself lodged in the wood, barely missing Nightline's face. The pony turned to see Captain Celaeno, looking furious and cut up, staring him down like an eagle to a mouse.

"You're not going anywhere!" she screamed, charging. Her clawed hand barely missed Nightline as he slipped to the right, breaking for the only exit he could find: a single doorway leading to the bilge.

Nightline slammed the door behind him as he passed through, frantically searching for a place to hide among the boxes of supplies. The best he could do was hide behind a single stack of crates before the door burst open. The large male bird, Boyle, was the only crew member to pass through. From the deck, Nightline could hear the captain attempting to sweet talk Percy before she again cried out in pain.

"Come on out, little pony. I know you're in here," Boyle coaxed, though he knew he would get little from words. Quietly, he began to search in every thinkable location for Nightline; even in places Nightline himself hadn't thought of to hide.

From location to location, the pirate was getting ever closer to his prey. Nightline knew that he needed to act, and to act quickly before he was discovered. When Boyle finally reached the area where he was hiding, the stallion did the only thing he could think to do. The bird was unprepared for anything to happen, and so he couldn't react in time to save himself as the stack of crates Nightline was hiding behind toppled over and onto him. The pony stood triumphantly for only a few moments before fleeing from the bilge and back onto the deck, where Percy was still doing a number on the captain and remaining crew.

"Percy, come on!" Nightline commanded as he ran towards the balloon once more. The feline chirped in reply before leaping from the first mate's shoulder and rushing to his owner's.

"Don't let the mule get away! No!" Captain Celaeno shouted, stumbling to her feet in order to pursue. She was too late, however. By the time she reached the mast, Nightline had already bucked the harpoon from the balloon wall and was pulling away from the airship.

"I wish Rainbow was here to see this," Nightline said to himself, beaming and gasping to catch his breath. His joy, though immeasurable, wasn't to last. The sound of a sword swishing through the air and the tearing of fabric killed his smile immediately.

Looking up, the unicorn saw that just before they were out of range, Celaeno took one last swing with her sword, cutting open the side of the balloon. With the hot air leaking out, there was no staying afloat. Very quickly, the balloon and its passengers began to fall.

Nightline opened his eyes only minutes later to find himself surrounded by the battered remains of the balloon. His front left foreleg hurt beyond the ability to use, but other than that, he and his feline friend seemed to be in good order. Percy, after licking his owner awake, chirped with satisfaction and stowed himself into Nightline's cloak. His behavior made the stallion chuckle, though the brief amount of happiness vanished quickly as the reality of the situation came clear. Nightline needed to find a way to get home, and all he had were the supplies within the bags still strapped to his sides. Standing, he began to take in his surroundings. Nightline found that he had landed in a barren desert. The sand scorched his hooves as he walked, and there seemed to be no end to it. Upon scanning the horizon, however, he could see that in the distance, there seemed to be a town. Though rugged, Nightline bet that there would be food, water, and some form of transportation for him to use. Taking in a deep breath, he began to limp his way towards it.

It didn't take long for Nightline to close the distance between himself and the town, but upon entering, he found that civilization would bring him no comfort. Every creature walking the streets was strange and alien, and anything but friendly. As soon as he stepped onto the open pathways, every one of them stopped and glared at him as if his existence were a crime. Tired, in pain, and done with his ordeal, Nightline elected to ignore them and instead walked past with a neutral expression of irritation. Walking from road to road and alley to alley, he searched for any balloons for sale or anything he could use to get home. Though he could find no balloons, he found something much better: a train station. Sighing with relief, Nightline wasted little time using half of his bits to purchase a ridiculously priced ticket to get into Equestria.

When the train arrived, Nightline was the first and only passenger to board. Having the entire train to himself was welcome solitude, given the choice of company in the area. Before long, the doors closed and the trip got underway. Only a few minutes after the train began moving, Nightline laid his head against the wall and drifted off to a fatigue-fueled sleep. As he slept, he had only one dream: Iris Pinkberry. He saw her in her living room in Ponyville, sitting and working on a canvas painting. She looked sad as she painted, but the dream didn't focus on her for long. Soon, Nightline's perspective shifted to the painting itself: a set of pitch black eyes surrounded by the deep grey face of a unicorn. His teeth were sharp and bared in a sadistic smile. After a moment, the painting began to laugh maniacally. This laughter caused Nightline to startle from his sleep, sitting up with a yelp.

"End of the line!" the scraggly voice of the conductor shouted.

Nightline looked out the window to see that, to his relief, he was indeed at a train depot on the border of Equestria. Sighing, the unicorn departed from the rugged passenger car. He was delighted to be surrounded by people of his own kind, especially when they welcomed him with a smile. Nightline made sure not to linger, however, and rushed to purchase another ticket to take him back to Canterlot.

"Sorry son, but the rails up that far are down."

The words of the stallion manning the ticket booth beat Nightline to the core.

"What?" he asked.

"Yeah, the tracks are all outa whack, they tell me. Every track in central equestria," the salespony explained.

"That's impossible," Nightline thought, before asking, "how close can you get me?"

"Last I heard, the farthest operational station up that way was Ponyville."

"At least it's familiar territory," he thought. "I'll take it."

Before long, the stallion was on another train and headed north towards his hometown. The trip was mostly silent, with Prince Purceus every now and then chirping for reassurance that he wasn't alone. Nightline couldn't shake a feeling of discontent. His destination, which he would reach within an hour, was his hometown. The place where he was born, and the place where the closest friend he had ever had resided. Nightline hadn't seen Iris Pinkberry since he had invited her to the Grand Gala, nor had she sent word to him since she failed to show. And Nightline had been so angry with her that he too sent nothing. Suffice to say that the thought of facing her now was regrettable at best.

"What in the name of Celestia happened here?"

The words from the conductor, loudly spoke as if shocked, prompted Nightline to quickly glance outside the window. What he saw struck him speechless: Ponyville had been turned upside down, inside out, and backwards again. Those few ponies who remained normal were running around the streets, either in fear or attempting to regain control of their furniture which had turned sentient. When the train pulled into the station, Nightline departed slowly, looking about in complete confusion. As he came to stand upon the main deck of the station facing town square, cackling laughter filled his ears. The source of this laughter was immediately clear as a strange creature which looked vaguely familiar hovered over the streets, chasing a group of fillies.

It was large, and long. Its body was long and slender, while each component seemed to be from a different animal. When it passed in front of Nightline, it stopped and stared as if surprised to see him. The two said nothing to one another, and instead stood in an awkward silence. Every now and again, they would glance about at the chaos and discord engulfing Ponyville. After a small while, the creature even began to fiddle with his fingers.

"Purrr?" Percy chirped questioningly, popping his head out from the bag.

Hearing his feline's noise, Nightline came to the decision that he was done with any fun adventures for a while. Turning and walking towards Canterlot, he said, "Twilight can handle this. I'm going home."

 **Well, there you have it! Season 2 begins. Leave me a review and wait patiently as I prepare for the next arc of the story...**


	19. The Limits of Magic

**Sorry for the long wait on this update, everyone. This story has so many diligent readers, but I had to put it on hold. I regret to say that my mother passed away very suddenly, and as you many understand, I've had to be there for my family. This is the best I could do for this chapter, connecting it to Nightmare Night. I'll be picking back up soon, however, so keep on being good readers!**

Chapter 19

It wasn't long after Nightline returned home that he discovered the truth of the chaos that had befallen central Equestria. Twilight Sparkle and her band of friends were able to use the Elements of Harmony to bring peace to the land once more, and not long after, Princess Luna explained that the creature which Nightline had seen in Ponyville was a monster known as Discord. He had escaped his stone imprisonment a few hours after Nightline left, and took control of Equestria for the short while he was loose. When that issue was fully explained, Nightline elected to bring up another with both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia.

Nightline discussed with the Princesses at length about the pirates who had resisted his magic. Never before had any been able to grant themselves immunity to his spell, yet those Piratesmanaged. This posed a great question to the three ponies: was Nightline as powerful as they had originally thought? This question would not be answered that day.

"We will explore the limits of your power at another time," said Celestia. "For now, your power in Equestria remains."

No more was said on the matter. Nightline was excused after finishing the debrief of his mission; even though it had ultimately failed, he was still paid in full for his troubles. Within a few days, the ordeal of Nightline's journey to the dragonlands was more or less forgotten, as well as his encounters with Captain Celaeno. Yes, left behind, because a new struggle closed in upon the inhabitants of Castle Canterlot which occupied the Unicorn's time.

Pacing back and forth in the library, Princess Luna looked to be on the verge of hyperventilation. Observing her behavior with slight amusement, Nightline sat at a reading table sipping from a cup of water.

"How could you suggest this, Nightline?" she asked, sounding distressed.

"Why wouldn't you want to go? It's Nightmare Night in Ponyville! That party was made for you," he replied, chuckling to himself.

"No, it was made for Nightmare Moon, and exists only to make sure that children remain fearful of her."

Earlier that same day, Nightline had received word from his mother that the preparations for Nightmare Night were going well. Reading this letter had given the stallion an idea, to help build the public's relationship with their Lunar Princess. He had proposed the idea of Luna attending the event with much enthusiasm, but was met with just the opposite. The idea of going to meet the public as Luna on a day made in the image of Nightmare Moon was nerve racking to the dark Alicorn.

"Don't be silly, it's a party! Fun games, lots of candy, and a chance to show the people who you are. And as a Princess, you could get ahold of one killer costume, too."

"Tis out of the question. I will not go to a party only to hear children shriek in fear."

"I think it's wonderful that you're going to a party with your subjects, Princess," the castle seamstress said, not an hour later.

Luna stood pouting atop a pedestal as she was sized and fitted for her costume. Nearby, two of her personal guard were also being fitted with armor painted to match the gimmick of she who they would be guarding.

With irritation in her eyes, she glared at Nightline who stood by and watched, a wide grin on his face. "How did you convince me to do this?"

"Ah, you're gonna have a great time," Nightline replied.

"You used your spell, didn't you?"

"Of course not."

"You did."

"No I didn't. So, remember the game plan. On a night like this, the ponies of Ponyville enjoy a bit of theatrics," the unicorn said, reviewing their plan.

"Yes, I know. I will wait until the opening ceremony, when they tell the story of Nightmare Moon. Then I will emerge through a tuft of storm clouds."

"Yes!" he confirmed, placing his hoof to his nose in a classic gesture. "And after that, just play some games and enjoy yourself. Scare the party-goers a few times, but show them the real you, and soon enough, they'll forget all about Nightmare Moon."

Luna eyeballed Nightline with confusion in her face. "Why would I purposefully frighten them? Is that not what I should be avoiding?"

"Just trust me, by the end of the night, it'll be the best thing to do."

Only a short while later, Princess Luna's costume was complete and her night was planned. Though she was to be escorted to Ponyville by two of her personal guard, they would not stay by her side throughout the night. This choice was meant to display trust in Luna's subjects, as well as remove the restriction so that the Princess might enjoy herself. Nightline, though he would've liked to participate in the fun, could not accompany Luna for multiple reasons. The most prominent being that Princess Celestia wished to spend some time privately with Nightline exploring the capabilities and limits of his versatile spell. The stallion couldn't help but feel bad, though, because as soon as Luna left, he would be testing his spell on the only things he could: other ponies.

When Princess Luna left, Nightline and Celestia began the trials of his sultry voice. Because he had to test his spell's various uses on a living creature, and because Celestia refused to allow any unwilling thing (be it Pony or otherwise) be used for the tests, she sent out a call for volunteers. Many of the initial volunteers were members of the royal and castle guard; those who had heard stories of, but never experienced Nightline's magic. Other members of the primary staff also volunteered for the same reason. Some of the Canterlot townsponies also stepped forward for the tests, but less for the experience and more for the chance to help Princess Celestia in any way she needed.

They began with the more pleasant tests; the younger, less tough volunteers were chosen for these. Nightline used his magic to influence their emotions, making them feel happy or hyper. He also tested the extent of the things he could make the volunteers do while they were under his spell's influence. First, he did simple things. He had some of them walk around, and others sing the Canterlot Anthem. He eventually moved on to making them do various dances, or rudimentary tasks like sweeping. Neither him nor Celestia were surprised when they found the first limit to his magic.

It happened when Nightline commanded one of the volunteers from town to neatly fold one of the tapestries of the main atrium in the way required by the maids; the young mare commanded to do so didn't move. It was clear that, because she hadn't the knowledge of how to fold the tapestry, she couldn't follow his orders. Similarly, when Nightline instructed another pony to move a large stone carving from one room to another, the pegasus instructed did nothing. The first limit to Nightline's magic was that he could not influence ponies to do things which they hadn't the knowledge or physical ability to do.

The next limit came in the story telling section of Nightline's magic. After being told a brief fable, the listeners were asked to describe exactly what they saw and experienced. The unicorn's attention was caught when they all described something similar, but different. Though the story, events, and emotions were the same for each of them, the differences came when describing locations and character appearances. Intrigued, Nightline began another experiment.

"Princess," he said, briefly using his spell. After releasing the volunteers, he asked what they saw. It was nearly unanimous that they saw Princess Celestia, however a few saw Princess Luna or Princess Cadence.

Activating his magic again, he spoke the word "party." This time, there was a great amount of diversity in what was seen. Some saw a birthday party, others saw social gatherings, and one even saw the Grand Galloping Gala.

Nightline spoke only a few more words before he realized the connection from this to the varying visions given by his story. His magic was incapable of creating new locations or ponies in the minds of others. Instead, it seemed that his spell would tap into their memories and use places and ponies they had already seen in their lives, the same as if they were dreaming.

Nightline and Celestia could find no limit to the emotions Nightline was capable of making the volunteers feel. He made them angry, then sad. Happy, then content. He was even able to convince two stallions they were in love, and just as easily make them hate one another. He then combined the two, making the stallions both hate and love each other. This was an effect Nightline had to quickly release, however, because the emotional conflict put a great strain on the two. The next limit Nightline explored was the extent of his control; he needed to know how one could resist his magic.

Seeing as none of the volunteers had managed to resist his spells up to that point, Nightline decided to step up the test to a level which he and Princess Celestia had previously discussed. With a nod of consent from the alicorn, Nightline called forth the volunteers from her personal guard. There were only two, so to begin, he only used one. The other stepped back to observe.

"Tell me," Nightline said, igniting his silver horn, "You are sworn to protect Princess Celestia, correct?"

"I am, with my life. For the betterment of all of Equestria," the guard answered with a glazed look in his eyes.

"And would you ever let any harm come to her?"

"I would give my life to prevent it."

Smirking, Nightline stepped aside and opened up the guard's path to Princess Celestia. When she signalled him to proceed, he spoke. "Strike the Princess."

All observing noticed immediately the hesitation in the guard to move. He stood and seemed to tremble for a moment before beginning the walk. Only a few steps forward were taken, however, before he stopped in his tracks and continued to tremble.

"Walk forwards and strike the Princess," Nightline repeated, watching intently.

This time, the guard didn't hesitate to continue walking. He managed to reach a standing point directly in front of Celestia before stopping again and trembling once more.

Narrowing his eyes, Nightline walked closer and commanded, "Strike her, now."

The guard's right leg began to lift off the ground, shaking the entire way. It looked as though he was fighting with all of his will to stop himself. After a moment, his entire face contorted and with a hard grunt, he forced his hoof back to the ground.

"Strike her!"

The guards face again contorted, and a constant struggling growl escaped his lips. His hoof constantly moved up, then back down again as he fought. Before long, he let out a rough and powerful scream.

"No!" he bellowed, taking multiple strides backwards before falling to the ground and clenching his head.

Nightline quickly released the effect of his spell, followed by using another to calm the guard's mind.

"Calm, calm. All is fine, now," Nightline said. "You have honored your oath and yourself."

With an exchanged glance between the stallion and Princess Celestia, an unspoken agreement was reached: they were making progress.


	20. Read it Again

**And the newest chapter is here! Nothing to say right now; just getting back on schedule, keeping life going. Enjoy!**

Chapter 20

The streets of Canterlot were bustling with activity as they usually were. High-class ponies in high-class outfits going about their busy days, be them full of work or full of classy parties. Walking amongst them was a white unicorn with a light blue mane, looking cheery and dapper despite his outfit consisting only of a grey sweatshirt. Nightline Wordsmith was on his way to the Canterlot Theater to meet his friend; the Pony known only as Dave. All seemed normal as he approached the back entrance of the desired building, and remained so as he passed through the doorway. What he was met with upon entering the backstage green room, however, was anything but. Standing in the middle of the room was Dave, and along with him was a collection of various ponies all holding a copy of a brown leather bound book titled _The Witch of Sorrow's Fall_.

"You see!" Dave shouted at the crowd of ponies. "I told you I knew him!"

Before Nightline could even question the situation, the group of Ponies before him all rushed forth and began pleading for a signature on their copy of his book. All the stallion could do was smile awkwardly as he was assaulted by fans, and as this happened, Dave stood by and smiled smugly, looking proud of whatever he had done. With a nervous chuckle, Nightline shuffled around his fans and over to Dave, grabbing him by the tale before bolting into the next room, leaving behind a tuft of smoke where he and his friend once stood.

Dave turned after being yanked by the tale just in time to see the door to what he knew to be the mare's changing room slam shut, braced by Nightline's entire body as he held it shut to prevent the mob from following them in.

"What's wrong?" The Theater Pony asked, genuinely confused.

"You know, Dave, I wasn't aware that a book signing was supposed to be a surprise to the author. Care to fill me in?"

"Oh," he replied, "they're a book club from Phillydelphia. They came all the way here just to meet you."

"Ok, next question. Why are they here?"

Dave was confused by his question. "I just told you, they came here to-"

"No," Nightline interrupted. "I mean, why did they come to the Theater? And a follow up, why did you call me to the Theater when they just so happened to be here?"

With Nightline's questions clarified, a guilty smile crept across Dave's face. "Well, you see...I'm kind of a member of this book club, but I haven't been able to attend since I came to Canterlot. I've been sending letters back and forth to them, you know, just to keep in touch, and they told me that this month they're reading your book."

"Please," Nightline begged, "tell me you didn't brag to them about knowing me?"

"I bragged to them about knowing you," he replied without missing a beat.

"Oh Dave!"

"I'm sorry! They asked if I'd ever met you, since they knew you lived in Canterlot as well, and I took my answer a little too far. They didn't believe me when I told them you were my personal friend, so I told them that if they ever came to Canterlot, I'd prove it by introducing you and…"

Nightline grew concerned when his friend trailed off, leaving his sentence open to continuation. "And?"

"I may or may not have promised them a private reading and signing of your book."

This information was met by silence. The two sat in that silence for longer than seemed necessary, with Nightline contemplating how to deal with his anger towards Dave's actions and Dave contemplating how to escape from a Unicorn who could essentially control his mind.

"Dave," Nightline finally said, "I am going to go scream in that corner. Then, you and I are going to go out there. I'm going to read my book and sign it for those ponies, they're going to leave, and then you are going to go sing Henny of the Hills as off key as you possibly can while dancing down Mane Street."

"That's fair," Dave replied without hesitation.

Things played out exactly as Nightline described. First, he buried himself into the back corner of the room the two were in and let out a scream audible by the group of ponies waiting outside. When he was done, he and Dave exited the room and came face to face with the book club/fan club which had come to hear Nightline read _The Witch if Sorrow's Fall_.

"So," Nightline said, smiling, "What say we head to the auditorium for a proper reading, shall we?"

For the following few hours, Nightline stood on the Canterlot Box Theater's stage, reading his own creation once more and adding another to the countless times he'd read it aloud already. Of course, though the book club had already nearly reached the end of the book, they opted to start from the beginning and hear the entire story though the veil of magic which Nightline could create. Though it was irritating to have to repeat this same cycle over again, the author did find a certain happiness as he brought so many wonderful emotions to his fans. Every word he spoke cascaded into their minds to paint vivid pictures of the story as it unfolded. Each and every pony in the auditorium was wiping tears from its eyes as the story concluded, and followed the end with an applause.

Shortly after finishing the story, Nightline once again found himself swamped by his present fans. He had almost forgotten that after the reading, a signing had been promised. Sitting at a small table, he signed book after book as they were presented. Dave stood beside the table, making quiet conversation as his peers passed by.

"I swear, hearing you read never gets old, no matter how many times it happens," he praised.

Smiling, Nightline replied, "I'm glad you all enjoyed it."

"Have you had any luck figuring out how the spell really works?"

"We're making progress, but I really can't talk about it until we know everything."

Dave sighed, feeling slightly shot down. He shrugged it off quickly, however, and perked up, saying, "Well, however it works, I'm glad it does. Thanks again for doing this. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule."

"Oh, Dave," Nightline chuckled evilly as he signed the last book. "It wasn't for free."

The tan Pony winced, remembering painfully the punishment for what he had done. Only a few minutes later, Nightline stood amongst a crowd on Mane Street Canterlot, all of whom were laughing as Dave danced about, singing every wrong note he could of the finale song from the stage production "Henny of the Hills." As the song came to its end, the crowd gave a patronizing applause, of which Nightline didn't participate. Instead, the unicorn smiled, satisfied that his punishment was complete. And with that feeling, Nightline turned towards Castle Canterlot, where he intended to return. He stopped abruptly, however, when he spotted a little colt standing close behind him, smiling innocently. He recognized the young Pony immediately as one of the orphans of Canterlot.

"Hi Nightline!" The chap greeted cheerfully.

"Oh, hey! Been a while, kid. What're you doing out here?"

Smiling, the little one replied, "I was reading in the library and saw you through the window. I thought that maybe, if you don't mind, you could come in and read us your book again?"

 **Short, I know, but hopefully enjoyable! Next chapter, things are really gonna pick up.**


	21. Of Love and Heartbreak

**And here's the next chapter! It feels so good to get back into my writing groove again. Things are starting to heat up with this story for sure. Stay tuned and things get even more intense!**

Chapter 21

Hearts & Hooves Day; a day when the entirety of Equestria blossoms with that strange feeling called love. Ponies of all kinds gallop about, relishing in the presence of that special somepony who makes their life complete, or prepare themselves for the chance to gain said somepony's affections for their own. On this particular day, Canterlot was especially active, for this was the only day of which Mi Amoré Cadencé, the Princess of Love, was guaranteed to pay the Equestrian Capitol a visit. Both of the High Princesses of Castle Canterlot were kept busy with the preparations for her arrival. It had been many months since Princess Celestia had received a visit from her niece, so she was more than eager for this meeting. Especially considering the news she had received only a few days prior: Princess Cadence's engagement.

Princess Celestia was the only resident of Castle Canterlot who had been made aware of this new development, though most everyone was aware of her romance with the head of the castle guard, Shining Armor. The stallion himself had done his very best to keep from telling anyone of his proposal and her answer, though the desire was killing him. He was paying extra close attention to every bit of the preparations for Hearts & Hooves day. Shining Armor was meticulous about each and every detail, wanting the castle to be perfect for his bride-to-be's arrival, and for the big announcement. And though his attention was nigh unbreakable, it was slowed for a short time when he noticed a white stallion in a grey hood walking his adopted daughter towards the castle exit.

"Nightline," he called out, "where're you headed off to?"

Smiling, Nightline replied, "I'm volunteering at the school today. They needed a good reader for a Hearts & Hooves day lesson, and I wasn't doing anything this particular holiday, so I figured why not?"

"You're not gonna be here for Cadence's arrival?"

"Not this time. Tell her I'm sorry, but I'm sure she knows how it is."

"Yeah, sure. But…"

Nightline noticed as Shining Armor trailed off that he seemed to look a little anxious.

"You think you'll be able to make lunch with the Princesses and I this afternoon?" He asked.

Smiling apologetically, Nightline replied, "sorry. I'm booked until class let's out today. I'd come if I could, but you know how I am about keeping my word."

Shining's anxiety seemed to grow upon hearing his answer. It was as though the guard was ready to burst.

"What's going on?" Nightline asked.

"There's a vein popping out on his head!" Cherry Blossom said, giggling.

Almost as soon as the little filly made her observation, Shining Armor could contain himself no longer. With an exasperated shout, he grabbed Nightline by the collar and pulled him around the corner into the next hallway, where no other ponies were present.

"Ok, I'm not suppose to tell anyone this but you're not gonna be there for the big announcement so as long as you don't say anything it should be alright and it's killing me keeping this a secret so-"

"Just tell me!" Nightline interrupted, amused by how out of character his friend was behaving.

"Cadence and I are engaged!" He exclaimed quietly.

"You and cadence are…!"

"Shhh! Yes, I proposed last week in private. Nobody knows but you and the Princess."

"Sweet Celestia...congratulations! I'm so happy for you two," Nightline said, giving Shining Armor a congratulatory hug. "Now I wish I could be there to see the look on everypony's faces. Ok, good luck today. I'm late, so Cherry and I need to run. Later!"

Before Shining Armor could even say a farewell, Nightline had already bolted out to fetch his daughter before they both broke for the exit. He and Cherry Blossom made haste on their path to the Canterlot primary school, and breached through the front door just in time for the resident teacher to say she didn't know where they were.

"Oh, uh...class, may I introduce your guest reader for the day. Author of _The Witch if Sorrow's Fall_ , and ambassador to the high Princesses of Equestria, Nightline Wordsmith. Thank you for coming, Sir."

"Sorry for being late," Nightline replied, panting from his run.

After finishing the usual pleasantries, their teacher went on to give a brief history about Hearts & Hooves day and about the book they were going to read. It wasn't long before she had finished her short lesson and called Nightline forward to do his part for the day.

"Happy Hearts & Hooves Day!"

Back at Castle Canterlot, the preparations for Cadence's arrival were all but complete. Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor were already standing at the front gates of the castle waiting to greet her. Both Shining Armor and Princess Celestia were anxious for the day's events to get moving so that the announcement could be made, while Luna stood thinking it was just another holiday visit. When the chariot carting the Princess of Love finally arrived, it was a joyous greeting. The first to move forward and offer a loving embrace was Shining Armor, who's not couldn't be contained. When the fiancé's finally separated, the next for Cadence to greet was Princess Celestia.

"Aunt Tia, it's so good to see you!" She exclaimed, wrapping her aunt in a strong hug.

"Indeed it is, young one. What a day this is," Celestia replied as they pulled apart.

"Yes," Cadence agreed before turning to Princess Luna. "Luna, it's a pleasure as always," she greeted, bowing cordially.

On the inside, the moon Princess groaned. It wasn't often that she received a greeting equal to her sister, and this occasion was no different. As usual, she was given respect without any love. It was a norm which quickly grew old.

"As always," she replied, bowing back.

"Come," Celestia interjected, "we have much planned for today."

The four ponies wasted no time in heading inside. They first had to formally announce Princess Cadence's arrival, which took little time at all. After that task was complete, the four made their way to the dining hall for an early lunch. Celestia had planned the day so that the announcement of Cadence and Armor's engagement could be made as soon as possible, and the true purpose of Cadence's visit could begin.

"So, was the trip pleasant?" Celestia asked as the royale chef brought out a few plates full of Crépes.

"This time around, it felt like it took years to get here," Cadence replied, smiling as she glanced over to her groom.

"I know how you feel," he said, smiling back.

Princess Luna quickly grew suspicious of their behavior. It was normal for them to get squishy when around one another, but something about the atmosphere around them felt different to her this time. She elected not to say anything, however, as love was a concept foreign to the immortal Alicorn.

"Well, I hope it was at least bearable," Celestia replied.

"Hardly. But who in Equestria can have any patients in a time like this?"

Cadence's words this time caught Luna's attention. The moon Princess knew then that something was abnormal about this visit, but she couldn't think of what. She was prepared to ask when the main course arrived, halting the conversation.

"Well," Celestia said, "I think it's safe to say that we should eat quickly so that we can get to the day's events."

"That's a great idea," Shining Armor immediately agreed, and then proceeded to ravage his sandwich.

No further words were spoken. Luna was appalled by how hastily even her sister scarfed her food, leaving behind all remnants of decorum in her rush. And while her sister did so, she had no intention of following that example. Though she did speed up her eating, she did so in a neat fashion which didn't leave the table before her covered in crumbs and scraps. Before even a short amount of time was able to pass, the four had finished their meal. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor were the first to stand and head for the door leading towards the main atrium. Celestia was quick to join them, joined by a confused Luna.

"I've arranged for the announcement to happen in the entrance hall. By now, the castle staff and some members of the Canterlot Press are here, ready to hear it."

"Sister, what is going on?" Luna asked, now certain that an aberration was occurring.

"All in time," Celestia replied, her voice barely containing her excitement.

The denial of answers was more than frustrating, but Luna was willing to put up with it for a few short minutes before they were given. So, with great haste, the group of ponies trotted through the hallways which led to the desired location. The hallway they were in eventually spat them out onto the stairway of the atrium. Out on the floor, the entirety of the castle staff as well as reporters from the local newspapers were waiting eagerly to discover the purpose of being called to the castle by Princess Celestia. The sun princess herself took her place before them, while Luna and the loving couple beside her stood behind.

"Members of the Canterlot Press and servants of this castle, I have called you here on this holiday because I have an announcement." As she spoke, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence stepped forth together. "On this Hearts & Hooves Day, I am pleased to announce that my niece, Princess Mi Amoré Cadencé, has been engaged to be wed to the stallion Shining Armor."

" _Engaged to be wed?_ " Luna thought, her mind racing. To her knowledge, a princess was not permitted any form of romance, let alone to be betrothed. So how, she wondered, could Princess Cadence receive such a blessing from Princess Celestia? Had things changed in the thousand years she spend imprisoned in Nightmare Moon's body? Questions upon questions piled up inside of Luna's mind, and yet each one led her to one singular conclusion: that things really had changed. And if things had changed, then she too would be permitted to find love in another. To seek out the feelings which had been blossoming in her heart since Nightline Wordsmith had come into her life.

With her mind refusing to slow its pace, Luna abruptly excused herself from the seeming press conference to go to her room and think on what her next move would be. Though she left calmly while still in the atrium, when she was out of sight, She broke into a sprint towards her room. Closing the door behind her, the moon Princess began pacing. She had often thought of how she was beginning to feel about her Wordsmith, but never before had she had any hope that her feelings could lead into something real. She was excited, happy, overflowing with joy, but also fearful. She had never explored the world of romance in her life, nor had she contemplated what it would be like. But she was ready to face her inhibitions, so long as it meant that her dearest friend would be by her side for each and every step of the way, holding her and guiding her.

"Luna?" A voice asked at her bedroom door, followed by a few knocks. The Princess immediately identified the voice of her sister, who waited for no reply as she opened the door. "Is everything alright?"

Princess Luna turned to see her sister enter the room, a look of concern on her face. But the younger princess's face showed just the opposite. Her cheeks glowed as she beamed with a smile, nearly brought to tears by what she was feeling.

"Everything is more than alright, sister. This day changes everything for me. Oh, what a joyous announcement that was!"

Celestia was slightly confused. Though she was happy for her niece's engagement, she wasn't nearly as ecstatic as Luna seemed to be. "I don't understand," she said with a confused smile, "what does Cadence's engagement change for you?"

"What does it not change?" Luna asked in reply. "All my many years, Love was never a possibility for me, as an Alicorn Princess. But on this day, I know that it is possible! Oh what a marvelous change-"

"Luna!" Celestia exclaimed, silencing her sister. "I don't know where this is coming from, but nothing has changed. We cannot wander down the path you are treading."

The room filled with silence. Luna's smile quickly faded away, and her eyes sulked with the deepest confusion. Looking at her sister, she spoke softly. "But, Princess Cadence is engaged. How can she find happiness with another, but we cannot?"

"Princess Cadence is not an immortal Alicorn as we are. With Shining Armor, she will grow old in their years together, and pass on as he does. Any lover we find will grow old and die, while we live on. That pain would do terrible things to beings with our powers."

In Luna's mind, she knew her sisters logic was sound. But her heart cried out desperately, for she had already opened it to fully accept what she felt for Nightline Wordsmith: love. And now that her heart was open, she could not so easily shut it again.

"Sister please, I will take the pain as I always have, but I cannot live alone like this any longer!" She pleaded.

"Do not ask for this, Luna. I beg you."

"I cannot live alone any longer!"

"But you must," Celestia replied, beginning to raise her voice.

"Sister please!"

"Luna, I forbid it!" the sun princess finally shouted, bringing their discussion to an abrupt halt.

Princess Luna was taken aback by her sister's tone. She had not raised her voice against her since before Nightmare Moon's first appearance, nor had she forbidden any action as a superior. The two had always been more or less equal rulers. Though she was the eldest sister and was respected as such, the two never presumed rule over one another.

"You forbid it?" Luna asked, clear anger in her voice.

Celestia realized what she had done almost as soon as Luna did, but she still remained adamant on her standpoint. They could not risk a broken heart while possessing the powers they did.

"Sister, I do not wish to fight with you," Celestia said, not wanting to create more problems by continuing to presume her rule over Luna.

"No, but you would ask me to live in suffering, and give me no choice in my answer."

"I ask no more of you than I must also do."

"You have the love and adoration of your subjects. You know nothing of the suffering you ask me to endure!" She yelled, tears of sadness and anger forming in her eyes.

Princess Celestia was shocked at the words spoken by her younger sister. With a distasteful frown and a sigh, she replied, "Do what you will. But know that if what I know will be the result comes to pass, know that your consequences will be bolstered by nothing."

Without waiting for a response, Celestia stormed out of the room. Luna stood for many minutes, staring at the door which was slammed shut. When she was convinced that nobody was going to walk through again, the moon Princess walked over to her bed and laid herself in it. That day, Luna cried herself to sleep, and found peace in dreams of a lifetime spent with the Pony who had stolen her heart.


	22. The Last Encounter

**I know the story is slow to pick up after my absence, but things are starting to move, so stay tuned!**

Chapter 22

The day following Hearts & Hooves day was quiet. Both Shining Armor and Princess Cadence were meant to take this day to relax before the preparations for their wedding got underway. The two happily woke that morning together with smiles on their faces, knowing that it wouldn't be long before they were one. Similarly, Nightline Wordsmith, Cherry Blossom, and Princess Celestia were all awakening at the same time, their stomachs telling them that it was time for breakfast. All of the Canterlot residents in question rose, hardly a care in the world, and made their way to the dining hall. However, there was one who was not waking at the same hour as the others. One who had been awake through the night, safeguarding all who trusted to it their slumber. Princess Luna was instead just returning to Castle Canterlot from her long night of work. She was tired and run down, for the night was slow and plagued with confusion. The moon Princess was lost, unable to find answers as to which path she should choose. Should she choose to follow her heart into love, or should she heed her sister's warnings and avoid such attachment? These questions continued to haunt her as she sulked to the dining hall. All of the Royal ponies arrived simultaneously and took their usual seats.

"Good morning, Princess," Nightline said upon seeing Princess Luna.

"Yes, good morning," she replied, her voice distant and cold. She looked completely exhausted, and said nothing else. Nightline also noticed a cross glance by her sister, who looked dissatisfied with something.

Opting not to get involved due to his lack of knowledge of the situation, Nightline instead turned his attention to the engaged couple sitting across from him and Cherry Blossom. "So, what are your plans for today, if I may ask?"

Cadence smiles. "You may. I'll be spending most of this day relaxing and resting. Tomorrow is going to be the first of many days filled with gown fittings."

"I'll be joining her, after I get done with my last guard shift until after the wedding," Shining Armor added, his eyes sparkling as he mentioned the upcoming big day.

"And what about you, Nightline?" Celestia inquired.

"Well, if you have nothing for me to do, I was thinking I'd catch up on my magical studies. I'd like to be able to levitate more than a small filly by the end of the year," he replied, playfully nudging his daughter who was silently eating her toast. As he did, he accidentally made her shove her snout into the jam, causing a scene which was amusing to all but her. "Sorry, sorry," he said, hardly able to contain his urge to laugh.

"Now my coat is all sticky!" Cherry shouted, before attempting to lick off what she could. This caused the amusing scene to become even moreso.

"Here," Princess Cadence said, giggling. "Let me." That said, she used a levitation spell to carry a cloth napkin over to the little filly's face and proceeded to delicately wipe it clean. "There, not sticky anymore. Just sweet as a strawberry."

Cherry Blossom rewarded the assistance with a sweet and innocent smile. "Thank you," she said, before returning to her food.

Celestia couldn't help but smile at her innocent manners. "No, I don't have any assignments for you. Study away."

After finishing their breakfast, walking Cherry Blossom to school, and lulling Princess Luna to sleep, that is exactly what he did. Nightline spent a few good hours studying the theories behind various spells, particularly levitation. Most of the theories behind that particular spell unanimously agreed that the ability of a unicorn to levitate object of any size or quantity is not dictated by physical or even magical strength, but focus and willpower. But even with this knowledge in theory, putting it into action was much easier said. After enough time and training had passed, Nightline decided that he was due for a break and exited the library. Wanting to relax for a short while, the stallion opted to go bask in the afternoon sun out on the central balcony. This in mind, he made his way straight there. But upon his arrival, he found that he was not the only one with that idea. Already out on the balcony was Princess Cadence, doing just what Nightline intended to do.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," he said, announcing his presence. "But it seems we had the same idea."

Cadence turned, at first surprised by the sudden presence of another Pony, but smiled when she realized who it was. "Not at all, Nightline. Come to enjoy the balcony?"

"Yeah. Around this time of day, the sun hits this spot in the best way. It's a great way to relax," he replied, walking over and sitting beside her.

"I agree. Ever since I was a filly, I've always enjoyed this balcony on a summer afternoon."

Nightline smiled, enjoying the pleasant conversation in the warm sun. "Sorry I missed the big announcement. I volunteered at the school today, and had already given my word when I found out how important today was."

"Oh, don't fret. You got the news either way."

"That I did. Have you set a date yet? For the wedding?"

"A few weeks from now," Cadence replied. "But we have to do all the preparations this week, because this week is when Shining Armor and I are free to do so."

Nightline smiled. "You two are so lucky."

Eyeballing him inquisitively, the Princess asked, "how so?"

"You both lead such busy lives, and yet you still love one another and live happily as if you were always together. Not many even in Equestria can claim to have that."

"Yes, I suppose in that regard we are. Love is a powerful thing. Of course you know this already. You already have a beautiful child. Who is it that stole your heart and gave you Cherry Blossom?"

Upon hearing that question, Nightline almost choked on the air he was breathing. After clearing his throat, he replied, "Cherry Blossom is actually adopted."

His answer surprised Cadence, who became even more curious as to the inner mechanisms of his heart. "Do you have no one to love, then?"

Only one Pony in all of Equestria entered Nightline's mind as he was asked this question. And as he thought of her, his heart ached. "No," he replied, looking out to the town of Canterlot.

His answer didn't fool Cadence, for as the Princess of Love, it was her duty in life to know it was at work. Smiling softly, she said, "what your words hide, your emotions give away. Who is she?"

Nightline sighed, knowing that nothing of this topic could be hidden from the Princess before him. "Iris Pinkberry. My best friend, for only a few months. My love for even shorter a time. Her work as an artist and mine as a Royal took us away from each other, and one day, she stopped even trying to see me."

"Did you try to talk to her about it?"

He lowered his gaze. "Not exactly."

"Well what happened the last time you met?"

Nightline remembered it vividly, the last time he had spoken to Iris. The last time he had been in Ponyville, after returning home from a mission outside of Equestria. He had been sent to offer a tribute to the race of dragons and to make peace with them, but after failing, he was forced to return to Equestria by train. It seemed, though, that while he was away, the creature Discord had escaped imprisonment and was bringing his chaos to all of central Equestria. The closest Nightline could get to Canterlot by train was Ponyville, where he first came face to face with the lord of chaos himself. Their first meeting was awkward, for neither of them knew exactly what to say. Even Discord was caught off guard by the new face which carried itself like royalty, but they would not have to deal with one another for long. Fed up with all that had happened to him in the past few days, Nightline opted to leave Discord in Twilight's hooves and began the walk to Castle Canterlot.

As he traversed his was through the chaos that had become of Ponyville, he felt little concern. He just wanted to go home, to see his favored Princess and hold his daughter who was already worried sick for him and his feline stowaway. But as he neared the roadway out of Ponyville and towards Canterlot, a familiar voice calling his name stopped him in his tracks.

"Nightline, hold on!" the voice of Iris Pinkberry called out.

Nightline turned to see the Pink Pegasus running towards him, a look of desperation on her face. She seemed to be ignoring every bit of the chaos around her as she rushed to her old friend. A friend who looked nothing less than dissatisfied to see her, for his heart still bled from what she had done.

"What?" He asked, soft and cold.

"We need to talk. Please?"

Nightline said nothing, but he also didn't leave.

Seeing this, Iris continued. "I'm sorry I didn't show at the Gala. I tried, I really did, but my art show was the same night. I couldn't get away in time. I tried to write to you, but you never answered."

Still, Nightline remained silent.

"Would you please say something?"

With every word that Iris spoke, his sadness grew. Her voice was always a point of comfort for him, but now, it only served as a reminder of what he knew could never be. With a creased brow, he spoke.

"Iris, how-"

"Ooooh, entertainment without the work!" Another voice chimed in, interrupting the Wordsmith.

Both ponies turned to see that it was none other than Discord, smiling devilishly as he watched them argue. Needless to say the Lord of Chaos found all manners of his trade entertaining, even if he didn't cause them. Nightline and Iris stared at him with looks of confusion on their faces, bringing their argument to a halt. After a few moments of silence, Discord realized that his presence was distracting them.

"Oh, am I interrupting? So sorry. Carry on, I'm not even here!" He said, before his entire body vanished in a puff of smoke. All that was left were two blinking eyes which looked on intently. A moment later, another puff of smoke brought out a bowl of popcorn which was continuously being eaten by an invisible mouth.

Shaking his head and opting to ignore the strange creature, Nightline turned his attention again to Iris, who did the same.

"Iris, how long are we going to keep doing this? I'm torturing myself every time I try to see you and you aren't around. Every time I come, your job has taken you away. And you've never once come to see me."

"I know, and I feel terrible about it. I get offered a job and I don't even think about it before accepting, but I don't need to accept as many anymore. I'll-"

"You'll what, come to a party with me but somehow never show?" Nightline barked, silencing the Pegasus.

Discord's head suddenly popped back into visibility. "Wow," it said.

"Nightline," Iris pleaded, hurt by his words.

"I can't pull you out of the work you love, Iris. And I can't be pulled out of mine. We can't keep lying to each other, and I won't keep hurting myself waiting for you to try."

"Hey, that's a little harsh," Discord interjected, "even for me-"

"Shut up!" Nightline bellowed. As he did, his horn lit for just a moment, and his eyes turned black, and his voice carried itself with power for miles. The shockwave of the sound and the magic of his voice was enough to break Discord's concentration and knock him backwards. In an instant, his body materialized and was knocked back a few feet. The lord of chaos stared at the unicorn, baffled by what had just occurred and even slightly afraid of the burst of dark magic he felt. Sneering, at him, Nightline's horn faded and his eyes became silver again. The entire action took only a fraction of a second.

"This won't work," he continued, turning his attention back on Iris. "I'm sorry. Goodbye." Without a response, Nightline turned and continued on his path towards Canterlot.

Nightline told Princess Cadence of the encounter in detail; all except the display of magic which he had yet to understand. As he described it, he knew that he had been much to hard on Iris. But he still knew that it had to end, because as long as their jobs were pulling them apart, it would never work.

"You must have loved her very much to have been driven so mad in losing her. Your cruelty was an extension of that love and pain," Cadence explained. "Not that I condone such treatment of another Pony."

"Nor do I. And though my methods were cruel, the result had to happen."

"Would you like my opinion?" Cadence asked.

"I wouldn't be very wise if I refused, now would I?" Nightline replied, lightening the mood a bit.

The Princess laughed. "If your love for her is as true as I feel it is, and hers for you is even a fraction as much, then when next you meet, you will reconcile and give yourselves to one another. You will find happiness together, and overcome the greatest of trials just the same. If you are correct and she doesn't care for you enough to try, then you will move forward and do just as well."


	23. A Canterlot Wedding

**Alright guys, I hope you're ready because we're getting into it now. Someone left a review about how Nightline needed to forget about Iris. It made me laugh. Let's keep going, shall we?**

Chapter 23

"Everyone to your posts. I want all guards on duty now!" Celestia's voice rang through the residential sector of Castle Canterlot, waking all who were soundly sleeping in the night.

Nightline woke just the same, leaping out of bed upon hearing the urgency in the Princess's words. After very quickly straightening himself out in his bedroom mirror, he rushed for the door.

"What's going on?" A frightened Cherry Blossom asked, hiding most of her body beneath her blankets.

"I don't know. Stay here, and lock the door. Don't let anyone in but me or the Princesses."

With that said, Nightline rushed from his bedroom and closed the door behind him. The hallway which he wound up in was filled with chaos. Every off duty guard stumbled about, partly if not mostly still asleep. Four of Celestia's personal guard tailed her constantly as she rushed about, waking every guard which still slept. It was far too early for any of them to be awake; the sun hadn't even been risen, yet Celestia still went about her task.

"Princess, what's going on?" Nightline asked urgently, chasing down the sun Princess.

"Oh, Nightline, good. I need you to wake everyone in the castle; we need everyone on high alert.

"Why? What's happening?"

"A threat has been made against Canterlot!" She exclaimed.

It was three days before the big wedding. Shining Armor and Cadence were both present in Canterlot when Princess Celestia received a letter in the dead of night. This letter, written on decaying paper in barely legible Ponish, simply stated that whoever sent the letter was the only one in Equestria who had the right to feed off of the love of ponies.

"I and my swarm will take Canterlot, and then we will rule this land and feed off of the love you hold so precious," Celestia read. "I would love to take you all now, but I do so like a challenge. So try, sweet ponies. Stop me if you can. But good luck. I am already here."

Celestia finished reading the letter to all ponies who she had called to the royal hall. She, Luna, and Cadence sat upon their respective thrones while Nightline, Shining Armor, and a select few of the higher rank guards stood on the floor, listening intently. When she was done, Shining Armor turned to his officers and spoke sternly.

"Alright, we know that some time soon, an attack will be made against Canterlot. And if we are to believe this letter, the leader of whoever is attacking may very well be within the town or even in the castle. Take your battalions, fan out and search everywhere. I don't want a single street, bridge, or station unguarded at any time. Move out!"

The present guards didn't hesitate to gallop out of the room, each of them making their way to their own group of guards to lead. When they were gone and only the other five ponies remained, Celestia was the one to break the silence.

"How could this happen? We have naught but the most vigilant guards, and yet an enemy could so easily break our defenses?"

"Worry not, Sister," Luna said. "Though this enemy is cunning, they made the mistake of telling us that they were here. With that knowledge, our guards will surely find them."

"No, I don't think so," Shining Armor chimed in.

"Explain," Celestia kindly ordered.

"Whoever this invader is, they got in undetected. They may be able to blend in with us more easily than we think. We don't know their appearance, so for all we know, they could be a Pony who lives in Canterlot or a dragon from the south. My point is, I don't think searching will be enough."

"Well then what do you propose?" Luna asked.

Shining Armor took in a deep breath before replying. "I propose that we put the Barrier Spell in play."

Though Nightline and Luna hadn't a clue what he meant, Princess Celestia came to immediate attention. "The Barrier? Are you sure?"

"What's the Barrier Spell?" Nightline asked.

"Just what its name implies. With this spell, I can create a magical sphere and expand it to surround Canterlot. Anything with malicious intent won't be able to pass through, and as a result, will be pushed out of Canterlot and locked away."

Upon hearing what the spell could do, Princess Cadence appeared worried. Celestia seemed to share her concern.

"But that spell puts a great strain on your mind. Can you sustain it for long enough?" The eldest princess asked.

"I must. It's the only way."

"This shouldn't be happening!" Cadence shouted, finally making her voice heard as she stood from her throne. "This is suppose to be the happiest time of my life. Why is this happening now?"

Cadence continued to pace around in the royal hall, huffing in anger at the events playing out. With a sigh, Princess Celestia gave the final word for Shining Armor to create the Barrier. Nodding, the Captain of the Castle Guard took in a deep breath before initiating his spell. His horn ignited with its violet waves of light, and at its tip, a sphere of the same color formed. This small sphere began to slowly expand, picking up speed the larger it grew. Nightline, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna all passed through the Barrier with ease, but at it came into contact with Princess Cadence, she let out a pained cry. She was unable to pass through, and was instead knocked back and pinned against the wall by the magical barrier which continued to try to expand.

"Cadence!" Shining Armor exclaimed, canceling his spell as he rushed to her side.

"Why could she not pass through?" Luna asked, concern laced in her voice.

"The Spell repels any with malice in their heart. Why would it repel the Princess of Love?"

The room fell silent. Though Cadence was too wrapped in catching her breath after being crushed by the Barrier, the other two princesses eyeballed her suspiciously, wondering what in her heart prevented her from passing through.

"She's too angry," Nightline offered, breaking the silence. All eyes trained on him. "She's angry with the way things are going just before her wedding. She needs to get that anger out of her heart or the Barrier won't let her through."

Smiling, Shining Armor turned to his bride. "Do you think you can calm down?"

Cadence lowered her gaze. "I'm not sure. Maybe with a little time."

"We haven't the time to wait," Celestia replied, standing from her throne. "I will create an opening in the Barrier for her to pass through. It cannot wait, for every second we delay is another second our enemy may attack."

"Alright," Shining Armor agreed.

When everyone was ready and Cadence stood beside her aunt, the stallion performed his spell again. This time, the Barrier expanded but moved around Celestia and Cadence. With no further obstructions, it successfully grew to surround all of Canterlot.

"This should protect us until after the wedding. After that-" but Shining Armor stopped with a painful grunt, before using his hoof to brace his forehead.

"The migraines are beginning faster than I anticipated," said Celestia.

"Here. Come with me, Shining Armor. I may be able to...help you, with those," Cadence added, walking towards the exit of the Royal Hall. Without a second thought, the husband-to-be followed his bride. But when cadence had turned away and her face was out of sight, she allowed a malicious grin to creep up her cheeks. And unbenounced to anyone else, her eyes flashed green.

"Come Sister," Luna said when they were gone. "The time to raise the sun draws near, and Twilight Sparkle should be arriving soon with her friends. We should be prepared to explain to them what the situation is."

"Agreed. Nightline, if you would, after breakfast, could you walk down to the school and tell them that they must put their lessons on hold until this threat is gone?"

"Of course, Princess. Whatever I need to do."

Only a few hours later that same day, all that was predicted came to pass. Nightline left for only a few short minutes to inform the school of Celestia's orders, and yet in the time he was gone, Twilight Sparkle and her friends arrived. By the time he returned to Castle Canterlot, each of them had already begun doing their part in preparing the castle for the wedding. Rarity was given Cadence's measurements from her fittings in order to create a beautiful gown, as well as the measurements of all of the Bride's Maids for the same purpose. Applejack was shown to the kitchen, where she got to work on each part of the catering. Rainbow Dash hardly did anything except keep her body limber for the sonic rainboom which she was meant to perform at the ceremony. Fluttershy worked with her songbirds on the music, and Pinkie Pie began decorating the main hall for the party afterwards. Twilight was assigned to oversee preparations, but she seemed quite destracted. Nightline hadn't the time to observe any of them for long, however, because his daughter was still waiting for him to return to their room.

He made way straight for the residential area of the castle. When he reached his own bedroom door, he quickly used his magic to unlock the it; he was pleased that it was locked to begin with, just as he instructed Cherry Blossom to do. He entered the room with a smile.

"Cherry Blossom-" he began to say, but was cut off as an aggressive feline pounced down on him from the wardrobe by the door, attacking as if he were an enemy. "Percy! What in the name of-youch! Would you stop!"

When Prince Purceus heard his owners voice, he stopped the assault. Walking up onto Nightline's head, the bob-tailed cat peered down at his face. "Prrrr?" He chirped inquisitively.

"Yes, it's me. Could you maybe retract your claws from my mane?"

Purceus didn't waste any time before hopping off of his owners head and down onto the floor, where he proceeded to saunter off proudly as if he'd just saved the entire kingdom.

"Sorry," Cherry Blossom said as she came out from behind the bed. "We got scared when we heard the door unlock. He was being a good kitty and tried to protect me. What's going on out there?"

"Nothing to worry about. Just some nut out there saying crazy things. It's all been taken care of. The captain of the castle guard put up a magical barrier around all of Canterlot, so nothing bad can get in."

Cherry Blossom was comforted by Nightline's explanation, and all sense of worry seemed to leave her mind. Feeling content, the little filly proceeded to grab her school bag, ready to head off to her lessons.

"Oh, school is canceled today, so you won't be needing your bag."

"What?" She asked, surprised. "What am I supposed to do all day then?"

Her question posed some trouble for Nightline as well. Knowing that the threat against Canterlot could still be valid, he would be busy all day and unable to entertain her. After a few moments of contemplation, an idea struck Nightline which he knew Cherry would enjoy.

"Come on, I've got something to entertain you."

With that, the stallion led his daughter down to the kitchen; a room which she was plenty familiar with. The room was full of activity, with assistants going from counter to counter aiding Applejack as she led the charge for the catering. When the two walked in, Applejack was just pulling out a batch of small platter foods which Nightline couldn't identify. The earth Pony seemed displeased with the result of the food, sighing to further show this.

"Mah dang Apple Meringues didn't come out right. Why're they so flat?" She asked herself, poking the items with a spoon.

"You probably added the sugar in too quickly," Cherry Blossom replied, alerting Applejack of their presence in the room.

She smiled upon seeing a familiar face. "Well howdy there Nightline. Fancy seeing you in the kitchen. What was that'ya said?"

"Hey AJ. That wasn't me. I don't think you've actually met my daughter. This is Cherry Blossom."

Cherry smiled sweetly at Applejack, before repeating her earlier statement. "Meringues can turn out flat if you don't add in the sugar slowly until stiff peaks form after you blend. If you added it too fast, even by just a little, they would come out with less fluff and more tough."

Applejack was stunned by this little filly's knowledge of cooking. She quickly glanced up at Nightline, who smirked with a tinge of Pride.

"She spends most of her spare time here. She likes working with the head chef, and it's made her quite the kitchen wizard."

"Well imagine that. Ah wish I had that kind uh know-how. I've got all the family recipes, but ah ain't no expert in the kitchen. I reckon you'll be earnin' your Cutie Mark real soon if you stay in this here room."

Cherry Blossom blushed at the praise she was receiving. "Thank you."

"Hey, AJ, now that you mention it, Cherry Blossom was looking for a way to spend the next few days while school is on hold and I'm too busy. Do you think you could use the extra hooves in here?"

The little Pegasus beamed upon hearing Nightline's inquiry. With an excited glare, she shifted her gaze between her father and Applejack, who smiled at the thought.

"Well ah don't know," she replied, kneeling down to be at eye level with Cherry Blossom. "Do ya think you can pull yer own weight 'round here while we make a feast for the weddin'?"

Applejack's question was taken as more of a challenge to Cherry Blossom. With a serious expression and a confident smirk, she replied, "get me a hairnet."

Her cocky attitude was amusing to every grown Pony in the room. Giggling, Applejack turned her attention back to Nightline.

"We'd be glad tuh have her. And don't you worry none, we'll keep her busy and safe. Ya'll just get going and do what you gotta do out there."

"Thank you," he replied. "Cherry Blossom, be good in here, and mind what Applejack tells you. You may have the skills, but she has the recipes. I love you," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead before moving for the door.

"I love you too, Dad!" She shouted back just before he was out of sight. "Now, about those Meringues."

The following few days were grueling. Every staff member not involved in wedding preparations, including Nightline, was put to even harsher work. The Wordsmith spent most of his time acting as an unofficial member of Luna's personal guard and the Castle Guard. He patrolled the castle halls in search of anything which would endanger Canterlot, and while Luna slept, he would remain by her door, ever vigilant for any threats to the Moon Princess. This kept up until finally, the day of the wedding arrived. Nightline was unable to be present for the pre-ceremony rehearsal, as he was posted at Princess Luna's door while she slept. He had agreed at Luna's request, however, to leave his post and be present for the wedding itself, even though she would still be sleeping.

And so, the hour came for the ceremony to begin. As promised, Nightline and Cherry Blossom we're both present and nicely dressed in outfits designed by Rarity. They stood together amongst the crowd of ponies all eagerly waiting to see Princess Mi Amoré Cadencé married at last. The sound of organ music silenced all murmurs in the crowd, and soon enough, Cadence came walking down the aisle led by the flower fillies. Nightline watched joyfully as she passed, looking beautiful in her wedding dress. It didn't take long for her to reach her place beside Shining Armor and for Celestia to begin.

"Mares and Gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amoré Cadencé and Shining Armor. These two ponies, sharing the inseverable bond of love, come before us all to receive this blessing."

Nightline's heart was swelling. He had never been to a wedding before, and feeling the love in the atmosphere made him feel as though he was ready to burst. Knowing the way he was feeling, he could only imagine how Shining Armor was doing. Curiously, he looked to the lucky groom to see what his expression was. Nightline was surprised to see that it wasn't joyful or anything close to it; instead, his expression was blank. Almost idiotic, with no emotion to be seen. Through the entire ceremony, he sustained this blank expression, all the way through the vows and I Do's.

"Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you-"

"Stop!" A sudden voice at the entrance of the hall shouted. Celestia was silenced, and all ponies in the audience turned to see Twilight Sparkle standing stubbornly if not triumphantly in the doorway.

Cadence groaned in frustration. "Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?" She asked, stamping her hoof. Her anger turned quickly to despair, however, as she cried, "why does she have to ruin my special day?"

"Because, it's not your special day," another voice in the entryway shouted. "It's mine."

Everyone turned once again to find that standing beside Twilight and looking rather beat up was a Pony who appeared to be Princess Cadence. Nightline continued to do double takes back and forth, confused at how there could be one Cadence at the altar and another at the door.

"What?" The Cadence at the altar asked, sounding dumbfounded. "But how did you escape my bride's maids?"

Both Twilight and the second Cadence smirked at one another. "We used the one thing a Bridesmaid can't resist: a wedding bouquet."

The first Cadence snickered. "Clever, but you're too late!"

"Ah don't understand," Applejack cut in. "How can there be two of em'?"

"Because she's a Changeling," the second cadence explained. "She takes the form of someone you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them!"

Upon hearing her explanation, the Cadence at the altar grew enraged. Suddenly, her eyes and horn began to glow a malevolent green. That same green aura also formed a ring around her hooves; a ring which proceeded to travel upwards. With every inch it traveled, it transformed her body, until finally, the Changeling's true form was revealed.

"Right you are, Princess. And as Queen of the Changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects. Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered. My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it, that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!"

The Changeling Queen seemed to be feeling quite triumphant, but Nightline still had hope that Shining Armor's Barrier would hold. The stallion looked to the groom to verify this, but found that he still had the same blank expression on his face, as if he wasn't even aware of what was going on around him.

"They'll never get the chance!" Cadence exclaimed. "Shining Armor's protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us!"

The Changeling snickered at her response, making Nightline second guess the precautions they had taken. "Oh, I doubt that. Isn't that right, dear?" She asked, looking back at Shining Armor.

As she did, her horn began its emerald glow, and with the same absent expression, the groom nodded. With anger in her eyes, Cadence made a dash to reach her fiancé's side, but she was cut off by the queen.

"Ah ah. Don't want to go back to the cave, now, do you?" With a defiant glare, the bride backed down. "Ever since I took your place, I've been feeding off of Shining Armor's love for you. Every moment he grows weaker, and so does his spell. Even now, my minions are chipping away at it."

Nightline could hardly believe what was happening. After all they had done to prevent an attack, this thing, this Changeling weaved through their defenses while hiding in plain sight. It made no sense to him though, for the Barrier Spell did not operate on sight, but on intention. She would have been pushed away as it expanded. It was at that moment that Nightline recalled when Shining Armor first attempted the spell. That day, Princess Cadence was unable to pass through the Barrier. Nightline assumes it was because of her anger, but now he thought otherwise.

"Was she really in front of my own eyes the entire time?" Nightline thought to himself.

"They're not gonna get it, right" Cherry Blossom asked quietly, her voice quivering in fear.

Looking down, the early stallion saw the terror in his filly's eyes. Smiling as comfortingly as possible, he replied, "I don't care how strong they are. They won't lay even one hoof on you."

Still trembling, Cherry Blossom tucked herself in close to her father, who used his foreleg to hold her even closer. As this happened, the Changeling Queen cackled triumphantly.

"He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control now. And, I'm sorry to say, unable to perform his duties as Captain of the Royal Guard."

Cadence gasped. "Not my Shining Armor!"

"Soon, my Changeling army will break through. First we take Canterlot, and then, all of Equestria!" The Queen declared.

Her threat caused Cherry Blossom to tremble even more intensely. Nightline felt so helpless against this monster; beyond anything else, it infuriated him.

"No," another voice chimed in. One which had been silent for the longest time: Princess Celestia's. "You won't."

Looking slightly vexed by this interruption, the Changeling Queen turned to face the Sun Princess. The two struck each other with gazes which heated the entire room.

"You may have made it impossible for Shining Armor to perform his spell, but now that you have so foolishly revealed your true self…"

The two rushed forwards, locking horns with one another.

"I can protect my subject from you!"

With that, Princess Celestia leaped back and into the air. In a fraction of a second, her horn began to glow with rays of golden light; rays which concentrated themselves into a magical beam aimed straight for the Queen. The Changeling wasted no time in returning the assault, however, and met the golden beam with an emerald laser. When the beams met, it seemed almost certain that Celestia would effortlessly win. But within moments of the confrontation beginning, the center of the magical attacks began to shift towards Celestia. Before she could even react, it had reached her own horn, and in a flash, she was knocked from the air. When she crashed to the marble floor, her horn was scorched and her crown had been knocked from her head.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight shouted as she made a desperate dash to her mentor's side, followed by her band of friends.

"Hah, Shining Armor's love for you was even stronger than I thought. Consuming it has made me even more powerful than Celestia!" The Changeling bellowed, soaring upwards triumphantly.

Nightline stared intently as Twilight and Celestia whispered words to one another which were inaudible. After only a few phrases, Twilight and her friends stood and fled the Royal Hall, tossing their dresses aside as they left.

The Queen laughed. "You can run, but you can't hide!"

As she continued to laugh, it felt as if the entire castle began to shake. Cherry Blossom shrieked as the tremors reached their peak, and buried her face into Nightline's chest. Only a few moments later, swarms of smaller Changelings could be seen flying outside the windows. They had broke through the Barrier.

"Nightline," Celestia called softly, grabbing the stallions attention. He shifted as close to her as he could without rousing suspicion. "Princess Luna. She still slumbers in her chamber. You must go to her, quickly. If Twilight should fail, she may be our only hope."

Nightline immediately understood what Celestia meant. Luna was the only remaining Princess of Equestria. She would be the soul leader if the Changelings succeeded. Beyond that, she was his friend, and he could not allow any harm to come to her. With a nod, Nightline moved quickly. The first thing he did was grab Cherry Blossom and shove her beneath one of the decorative cloth covers which adorned the back of every plant.

"Stay here, and don't move. I'll be back for you, but Princess Luna needs me. I love you!"

Before the frightened filly could even object, Nightline fled. Through one of the side doors to the hall, and through the many hallways which led through the castle. The stallion ran as fast as he could, but he didn't make it far before he was intercepted by three of the Changeling soldiers. They stopped him on the stairwell, blocking his path completely.

"Another pony ripe for the feeding," one of them said as all three began advancing.

Having no combative skills, Nightline knew he couldn't fight them. As they advanced, he slowly retreated, all the while trying to formulate a plan to get by. The more he thought on it, the more he realized he only had one option. Narrowing his eyes, Nightline ignited his horn's Silver glow.

"Stand down and let me through, now!" He commanded forcefully.

All three Changelings stopped momentarily, but not out of obedience. Instead, they all exchanged glances of confusion, not knowing what exactly the Pony was attempting to do. After only a few moments, they continued their advance. Nightline recognized immediately the resistance to his spell. He had seen the same resistance by Captain Celaeno; their loyalty was stronger elsewhere.

"Stand down I said!" He shouted again, with no success. "I said Stand down!"

On his third attempt, something did happen. It had no relation to his spell, however. Instead, a white Pegasus draped in golden armor came crashing down the staircase, taking all three Changelings down with him. He was soon accompanied by four more identical guards, who all drove off what Changelings were in the room.

"Go, Ambassador Wordsmith! We'll hold them here!"

Without hesitation, Nightline ran past them. "Be careful!"

The unicorn again resumed his mad dash towards Luna's room. With every second that ticked by, he became more and more desperate to see to her safety. When he finally reached his final hallway, he was relieved. None of the doors were open, nor were any of the decorations damaged. There was no sign that the Changelings had made it to that area of the castle. Still, Nightline wasted no time in rushing to his target location. Bursting through the door, Nightline was struck speechless. In the room, four Changelings stood around Luna's bed, all with glowing horns which were creating a strange cocoon around the sleeping Princess who showed no signs of awakening.

"Luna!" Nightline exclaimed, hoping to rouse her before their spell was complete. She didn't even flinch.

Suddenly, the unicorn was tackled from behind. Two more Changelings had come from an unknown place and were now holding him down effortlessly as he struggled with all of his might.

"Keep him restrained!" One of the Changelings beside Luna barked. "We'll place him in a siphon chamber next."

Nightline struggled desperately against the strength which he could not hope to match, all the while calling for his Princess to awaken. "Luna! Luna, please, wake up! Luna!" She made no movement at all.

"Call all you want," one of the Changelings above him mocked. "You'll never wake her. With the spell she's under, she'll be completely drained by the time she wakes. She'll be powerless."

"No! No, let her go!" Nightline commanded desperately. Driven to tears, he ignited his horn once again. "Let her go! Luna!"

Still, his spell had no effect. It wouldn't even wake his Princess, who was almost completely enveloped by the cocoon. As her face began to be covered, Nightline nearly lost all hope. Here he was, mere feet away from his closest friend, and he could do nothing to save her. It was a feeling he had felt once before, during his first Winter Wrap Up in Canterlot. He was aiding in clearing the snow from the mountainside, but instead caused an avalanche. In the chaos, he and Luna were buried together, and she had been impaled on his horn. In their hour of need, Nightline could do nothing. And yet even with her injury, Luna was able to lift the compacted ice from on top of them and save their lives. But now, she could not save herself or him, and neither could he.

" _You're so pathetic_ ," a malicious voice inside Nightline's head said. " _Can't even save one friend from a few bugs. Just stay out of my way._ "

Suddenly, Nightline let out a powerful war cry. Bucking out his hind legs, he clocked both of the Changelings holding him in the chins. The force of the kick knocked them both into the wall behind them before they fell barely conscious to the floor. Turning his attention to the Changelings surrounding Princess Luna, he stepped forth with great anger. All four of the remaining grunts stopped their spell and prepared to attack him; none got the chance. With eyes black as night and teeth bared and sharpened to a point, Nightline ignited his horn once again.

"Flee in fear!" He commanded, his voice sinister.

This time, every Changeling in the room came to attention. His words struck them to their very core and shook every fearful nerve in their body. Quivering, each one scrambled for the balcony and fled, trampling each other as they went. When they were gone, the cocoon surrounding Luna dematerialized and vanished, though she did not wake. Walking over to inspect her, Nightline returned to himself. His eyes shined their silver sparkle, and his teeth took on a normal shape. As he inspected his Princess, he found that the Changelings hadn't lied. She had been placed under a powerful sleep spell. He recognized the effect, and knew that when she awakened, the only memory she would have was going to sleep just before the wedding.

Though Nightline was relieved to know that he had saved Princess Luna, a cold chill still ran up his spine. Who was this stallion within him who possessed powers far more sinister? With every passing day, he showed his face more and more, and Nightline feared where it might end up. The stallion didn't have long to contemplate, for the buzzing of large insect wings told him that more Changelings were nearby. And just as he heard them, two more appeared on the balcony.

"That must be the one. Restrain him!" One of them ordered, and the other obeyed, lunging at Nightline.

The stallion flinched defensively, and shut his eyes in preparation for pain, not wanting to call on the dark stallion a second time, but he found no such sensation. Instead, a magical wave swept across his body from behind, followed by the screaming of the two Changelings in the room. Nightline opened his eyes just in time to see a barrier identical to Shining Armor's expanding across Canterlot, repelling every Changeling present. He beamed joyously, knowing that someone had freed Shining Armor from the spell he was under so that he was able to perform a strong enough spell to save Canterlot. Tears of joy fell from Nightline's eyes as he galloped over to hug the sleeping Princess Luna, who still showed no signs of waking.

"You're gonna be fine, Luna. Sleep well," he whispered, before darting from the room.

Nightline followed his own footsteps back to the Royal Hall, where Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, Princess Celestia, Twilight and her friends, Spike, and unknowingly to all of them, Cherry Blossom were the only ones remaining. When Nightline entered, Celestia came to attention.

"How is Luna?" She asked, her voice laced with concern.

"She's fine, still sleeping," he replied, darting past the Princess and all of his friends to the place he had hidden his daughter. To his great relief, she was still there, hiding like a professional. "See? What'd I tell ya-" Nightline began to say, but was cut off as two small hooves bucked out and caught him right on the nose.

"Stop looking like my dad!"


	24. Fraid Vocality

**New chapter! Sad to say but we're in the end game now. Things are heating up, and I'm excited to see this story reach its climax.**

Chapter 24

Spring; a wonderful season after Winter's end. And spring that year came quickly in the uneventful months of Nightline Wordsmith's life since Princess Cadence's wedding. After the Changeling attack, things quieted down in Canterlot and for the most part, in Equestria. Of course Nightline was sent on the occasional assignment to settle political disputes and bring peace to chaotic lives, but these were hardly eventful occasions. Nightline was even sent away just before the biggest event in Equestria since Nightmare Moon: the return of the Crystal Empire. Nightline returned from an excursion to check up on the Appleloosans only to find that the castle was vacant. Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor and all of their personal guard had gone to help welcome the Crystal Ponies back into Equestrian society. Nightline later learned that in the beginning of its return, a dark unicorn by the name of King Sombra intended to lead the Crystal Ponies against Equestria in hopes of taking over. But thanks to Twilight Sparkle, Sombra was vanquished and the Crystal Empire saved. As Nightline was told this story, he couldn't help but sigh. Of course he had been away for the entire time it was happening.

But now, it was time for Spring to begin. Nightline woke that first Spring morning with a good stretch and a yawn before standing and moving over to his mirror, where he brushed out his mane and straightened his sweater. Cherry Blossom began waking up when his activity disturbed her slumber, and she followed the same basic routine as her father.

"Good morning," Nightline greeted, giving her an affectionate hug.

"Morning," she replied, smiling.

"You hungry?"

"A little."

Without needing any more reason than that, the two ponies exited their room and made way straight for the kitchen. As usual, the Castle was active with the mornings staff. Maids were dusting off the furniture and caring for the plants, while fabric specialists were seeing to the carpet and upholstery, and every now and again, a group of guards would pass by as they either patrolled or went to switch posts. It didn't take long for Nightline and Cherry Blossom to arrive at the dining hall, but the unicorn was surprised to find that when he arrived, neither Princess Celestia nor Princess Luna were there. Cherry made the same observation as they both scanned the room, quite confused.

"Wait here," Nightline said. "I'll go look for them. Don't wait on us if the chef brings out breakfast. Just eat up and get ready for school."

The stallion didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he crossed to the opposite side of the dining hall where another door stood open. A door which led in the direction of the Royal Hall, which was to be Nightline's first searching point. He was delighted to find that his first guess was a lucky one, for sitting on their throne's and conversing with one another were both of the High Princesses of Equestria. Their faces showed great concern, making Nightline worry that something was amiss as he approached.

"Good morning, your Majesties," Nightline said to make his presence known.

"Oh, good morning Wordsmith," Luna replied, standing to offer a proper greeting.

Celestia did the same. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did. Princess, I couldn't help but notice that you two didn't show up for breakfast, and you looked concerned when I walked in. Is something wrong?"

Luna sighed, lowering her head. "Indeed, something is bothering us."

"But it is no immediate danger," Celestia added.

"Well, we don't exactly know that for sure."

"What's going on?" Nightline asked.

Breathing deeply, Celestia answered. "It's Discord. We still don't know how he escaped his stone imprisonment before, and we fear that he may succeed in doing so again."

"Why not use the Elements of Harmony on him again if he does?"

"I thought the same," Luna replied, "but that solution can only last as long as the Elements' chosen wielders live. Not even Celestia can use their power now that they have chosen others."

Celestia then chimed in again. "And there's more," she said. "Discord wields a unique and powerful magic, but has only the desire to do evil with it. I have long wondered what such power could do if it were used with the intent of love and kindness. The thought has occurred to me that reforming Discord would end his evil reign and instead usher in centuries of peace and prosperity."

"Sister, I told you, that idea is madness. Discord is the very source of all Chaos in Equestria."

Luna went on to list a multitude of reasons why Discord could not and should not be reformed, but Nightline didn't listen. At first, he was taken aback by Celestia's idea, thinking it was crazy. But the more he contemplated, the more this situation began to feel familiar. Just like when Nightmare Moon returned, and the good in her still presided to dominate the evil. If not given the chance for reform, Luna never would have returned to her subjects. As much as Nightline feared the result, his conscience pushed him forwards, and an idea bolstered his confidence.

"I agree with Celestia," he interjected, striking both Princesses silent. It was rare for him to side with the sun over the moon.

"You do?" Celestia asked, unbelieving of what she had heard.

"Yes. I believe that every creature should be given the chance to change their ways before being sentenced to a life of imprisonment. If not, we wouldn't have Luna. As dangerous as this may be, I think it would be right to give Discord that same chance."

"And how," Luna said, "do you plan on reforming a creature of pure chaos?"

Nightline smirked. "Actually, I think I know of a few ponies in Ponyville that not only stand a good chance of doing it, but also have the means to stop Discord if they fail."

The very next day, Celestia left for Ponyville with Discord's statue. Both she and Luna agreed with Nightline's notion that Twilight and her friends (specifically Fluttershy) would be able to reform him. Nightline was relieved to find out when Celestia returned that they agreed to try. The three of them waited eagerly for the next day to come, when they would receive their first report on Fluttershy's progress. Nightline and Celestia turned in as soon as the sun went down, while Luna went to guard the dream realm. That night, Nightline's dreams were far less than peaceful.

At first, the young stallion was at the Orphanage. It was a mirror image of the dream he had a few months prior; he was reading a blank book to the orphans, and using his spell to make them miserable. His perspective then shifted to be outside his own body, so that he himself could see who was reading to the children. He found that it was someone who looked like him, but this pony had eyes black as night. The Orphanage then collapsed under a torrent of snow, and the dream shifted. Now, Nightline was in the Everfree Forest. It was dark; the stars shined brightly in the sky and were accompanied by a crimson moon. The forest around him was thick. He could only see so far before the darkness blocked his view. But in that void, dotted red eyes slowly began to appear. Each one all but frozen, shifting slightly in place. All except for one pair, which moved and circled as deep, maniacal laughter filled Nightline's ears. This laughter echoed through the forest for what felt to the stallion like hours, but eventually, the cackling figure stepped into the light. It was the same dark unicorn which Nightline had dreamed of before. Instead of being fearful, the Wordsmith stood tall and stoic, facing this pony with the hope that his will would be stronger.

"Come to tell me how much you need me?" The stallion joked maliciously, circling Nightline.

"Stay out of my head," he replied, ignoring the joke.

"Oh, that I can do. I don't need your weak will and even weaker mind. What I want is your heart, your very soul! That is what I will take from you."

As the dark stallion spoke, the dream world around the two began to tremble and shake. As if they were pieces of a ceramic vase, chunks of their surroundings began to fall and vanish, leaving behind only a void in their place. Eventually, a section beneath Nightline's hooves vanished, and as it fell, he too was pulled into the endless void. With a gasp and a scream, the unicorn sat up in his bed, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Across the dark bedroom, Nightline could see Cherry Blossom hiding beneath her covers and staring him with terror in her eyes. Prince Purceus was nothing but a lump on the blankets beside her, trembling in a similar fear. Only moments after he woke, his bedroom door burst open and into his room came a few of the night guards accompanied by Princess Luna.

"Wordsmith!" She shouted, desperation in her voice. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine. What's-"

"Fan out, search the grounds!" Luna commanded to the guards. "Be sure that no magic has been cast tonight!"

"Luna, what's going on?" Nightline asked, removing his covers in preparation to stand.

"Nightline, I was in the dream realm and felt a terrible power. It led me to your dream, but I could not enter nor could I even peer in. I was locked out of your dream by a magic I could not contest."

The young unicorn stared at his princess in surprise. The prevailing power of the night was bested in the dream realm by whatever was involved in his own dream, and he had a terrible feeling he knew the culprit. The next day, Nightline found himself in the Royal Hall with both of the High Princesses of Equestria. They stood not at their thrones, but beside him as friends. Nightline had made Luna aware the previous night that he knew what had locked her from his dreams, but he did not say. Instead, he told her that he would explain it to both Princesses together. Celestia had far less information to go on. All she knew was that Luna had been overpowered in the dream realm by a force like she'd never felt before.

"Alright, Nightline. Tell us, what do you think kept me from your dreams?" Luna asked.

"Start from the beginning and tell us all that you know," Celestia added.

Nightline sighed, and with a deep breath, began his explanation. "It's been more than a year since I first felt his power. It was when I moved to Canterlot, when I originally took the job you offered me. The day after I moved here, I went to the Orphanage to visit the children, and told them the story of the dragon sleeping in the mountains south of Ponyville. I told them the story of Fluttershy, who bravely drove it away, but as I used my magic on them, I felt a darker presence. It compelled me to tell the children a much sadder tale of leaving my family and the ones I loved. It made me put that same sadness into their hearts. He took hold of me for only a few short moments, and nearly killed their hope."

"He?"

Nightline nodded. "After that day, that power seemed to vanish. I never felt it, so I didn't think it was a problem. But then, less than a year ago, an avalanche toppled the orphanage and trapped the children inside. They were dying beneath the ice, and I was powerless to stop them. But he wasn't. He was strong enough, and so When I felt him within my fear and anger, I knew I had to let him take over to save them. He left as soon as the deed was done, almost as if he couldn't keep his hold on me when the danger was gone. When my fear left, so did he."

"Then, the strange pony Cherry Blossom told us of that saved her and her friends. That was…?"

Again, the Wordsmith nodded. "That same night, I dreamt of him. He came to me in my sleep, just as dark and malicious as he felt in my soul. And when I asked him for his identity, he refused to give it. Instead, all he told me was that he was the doom I would bring to Equestria."

As Nightline described this, Luna seemed to grow weary. A look of terrible nostalgia crept into her eyes, as a look of horror filled her face.

"The next time I felt his power was after my journey to the dragon lands. I was forced to pass through Ponyville during Discord's rampage, where I ran into Iris. Seeing her brought me such great pain, and she wouldn't leave me be. When Discord came to us to play his games, my anger erupted and the dark stallion's power surface. It was enough to topple the lord of chaos and stop him in his tracks."

"A power greater than Discord? What kind of magic are we looking at?" Celestia whispered to herself.

"The last time he came to me aside from last night was during the Changeling attack. When the Changelings attempted to take Luna, they rendered me powerless to stop them. I felt so useless, and my own magic didn't even faze them. That's when I heard his voice. He called to me, and commanded me to stand down. He gave me no choice as he took my body to save Princess Luna, using a magical power similar to my own but so much more sinister. He broke the spirits of the Changelings we faced, and alone saved Luna. He was gone as suddenly as he appeared, just before the attack on Canterlot ended."

"Why did you not tell us of this?" Luna asked, her voice sounding terrified.

"I didn't know what to say. I didn't understand it, and I still don't. Then he came to me again last night. Every time he's come, he's gotten stronger. Even to the point that he could lock you out of my dreams and torture my mind. Princess, I am afraid. He is the darkness of my soul. He is the shadows of the darkest cave. In my magic he waits, and lives in the fray where my voice cannot sing. He is Fraid Vocality."

The very mention of his name sent shivers down Nightline's spine. Luna too retched at hearing it, shaken to the core by what she felt. Celestia was not affected as they were, but she still felt cold. Not one moment after the name was uttered did amused laughter fill the Royal Hall. Hearing it made Nightline flinch in fear, as did both Princesses, but the three were strangely relieved when Discord appeared in the room, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Very good, sweet little unicorn. You finally figured something out," he said, smiling mischievously.

"Discord!" Luna shouted. "So this thing is your doing!"

Without waiting even a moment, Luna lunged at the Lord of Chaos violently. Her outburst was soon stunted as ropes appeared just as Discord had to tie the princess up. She fell to the floor, immobilized.

"Down girl," Discord said. "I had nothing to do with this."

Nightline immediately sprang into action, jumping to stand between his princess and the monster threatening them. His defensive fury showed in his eyes; a glare which Discord was all too familiar with, which caused him to back up in fear.

With an annoyed look, he spoke. "You know, I don't like you very much. Fine, fine, I'll release her."

Snapping his fingers, Discord dispelled the bindings around Princess Luna. Celestia was the next to make her voice heard.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well," Discord replied. "I was spending some quality time with dear old Fluttershy while she's trying to reform me. A ludicrous idea, really, but that's besides the point. She went out to run an errand, so I thought I'd pop by to tell you how foolish you are to think I could be reformed, but now I must admit I feel compelled to help you."

All three ponies were more than confused by his words. They didn't believe he would be wanting to help the Equestrian rulers so quickly.

"Now don't get any ideas. I'm not doing this out of the good of my heart. But it means trouble for me when a Dark Magic like the one I get from this one," he explained, pointing at Nightline, "appears when I'm having my own fun."

"Why would Dark Magic pose any threat to you? Do you not wield it yourself?" Luna asked.

"Yes, well, while any darkness can grow strong enough to withstand any light, a more powerful darkness can still overshadow it. That is precisely why I wouldn't want the moon lover becoming Nightmare Moon, and is why I wouldn't want this 'Fraid Vocality' coming out."

After a moment of silent contemplation, Celestia replied. "Alright, you have our attention. Tell us what you know."

"Let me guess. When you hired on this little foal, you used that old enhancement spell to age him? You two were always reckless and naive. When you used that spell, you also enhanced his magical prowess. His own magic grew much stronger, and the potential of his vocal spell did the same. But as every magical light grows, it's shadow darkens. Magic and Dark Magic have always existed in balance, as they should. For every force of light, there is a shadow. For every force of harmony," Discord created an image of Twilight's element in one hand, while he created an image of himself in the other. "A force of chaos. As much as balance annoys me, it must exist. So when you so foolishly brightened his light, his darkness grew as well."

Both Princesses looked guilty, knowing that everything Discord had said was true. Even though he was a creature of chaos, there were rules that even he could not break. Nightline listened intently to his explanation, knowing that the information could mean the difference in combating the darkness within him.

"So, little pony, be weary of your emotions, and of the darkness within you. Alright, I'm late for tea. Tata!"

In a puff of smoke, Discord vanished. Nightline turned to face his Princesses, both of whom looked anxious and fearful. Luna especially, for now her fears were realized. She knew the power she had felt from Nightline, and knew the power she felt from Nightmare Moon. They were nearly the same, and so she knew potential for evil which slept in Nightline's heart.

"I will meditate on this," Celestia said. "And we will do all we can to rid you of Fraid Vocality."


	25. Maybe

**Here it is! This chapter has been planned in detail almost since the beginning of this story. From this point forward, this story splits away from any relation to the canon MLP: FiM plot. None of what happens from now on is affected by nor does it affect that plot. Read on!**

Chapter 25

The sound of a locomotive was almost all that Nightline could hear that fall afternoon. It was accompanied by the sound of cutting wind as a train travelled northbound from Canterlot. But even as the beautiful fields and mountain ranges passed by, the stallion couldn't tear his eyes away from a letter sent to him only one day prior. It was written on the finest paper, rolled and closed with the dazzling seal of the Crystal Empire. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were as surprised as he was that he had received it, and it was sent by none other than Princess Cadence herself. Since the Empire's return, Cadence had been sent to rule over it. It seemed like she was meant to, as it was a sector of Equestria governed completely by love. And so it was also fitting that Equestria's very first Hearts & Hooves Day Love Summit was to be held there. And that was the reason for Nightline receiving Cadence's letter. As the train chugged on, he read the letter over again to himself to ensure that he knew exactly what he was needed for.

 **To Nightline Wordsmith.**

 **Nightline, as you are well aware by now, the Crystal Empire will be hosting the very first Love Sumit in Equestria. And this being the first event of its name, everything we are attempting to put together for it is more or less trial and error. Because of this, I find that I've got my Hooves full just trying to increase the spirit of Love. And so, I have decided to combine two of the Sumits needs. For one, there is a leader needed for every section of the festival, and I also require a representative from every sector of Equestria to come partake in the fun. Combining these two needs has thus far been promising. Originally, I was going to ask Twilight to be the main organizer, keeping everyone else on schedule, but I've opted to choose you instead because I think you'll do wonderfully and I needed someone else from Ponyville to lead a different department. As my first assignment to you since you joined the Castle Staff, I ask that you journey to the Crystal Empire and fulfill this task for me.**

As Nightline finished reading, he put the letter down and sighed. He wasn't looking forward in the least to being "Mr. Checklist" as Twilight always had. His dread melted away, however, as he pulled into the train station of the Crystal Empire. He eyes widened as he marveled the city's beauty. It was so large, and every aspect of it was made of some form of gemstone. He chuckled to himself; he didn't know what else he was expecting. When the train came to a complete stop, he picked up his bags and disembarked. Nightline was delighted to find that Princess Cadence and Shining Armor were both waiting to greet him with smiles on their faces.

"Nightline, it's so good to see you!" Cadence said, offering a friendly hug. "How was the trip?"

"One of the smoothest train rides I've ever been on," he replied.

"Well what do you expect? Traveling between the two richest sectors of Equestria has its perks," Shining Armor joked, giving Nightline a powerful hoof-bump.

"You don't need to start working right away. We'll show you to your room and let you settle for a little while before we hand you your list."

The stallion grimaced. "Ugh, the list," he thought to himself.

Smiling, the three began walking to the central castle of the Crystal Empire. The entire way there, Cadence gave Nightline an outline of what she was hoping the festival would become. She also gave him a brief summary of the Sumit's centerpiece: the Crystal Heart. Though she didn't disclose its location where it remained hidden, she did tell him where it would be during the festivities. It didn't take long for them to reach the castle, nor did it take long to reach his room. It was much smaller than his room in Canterlot, but still a reasonable size. He would only be staying for a few days until the festival was over, so he didn't mind at all.

"There's a guard posted at the end of the hall. When you're ready, just grab the list from him and get started. Give us a holler if you need anything," Shining Armor said. With a short goodbye, he and his wife both left the room. After setting his things down, Nightline decided not to waste any time. He hadn't brought anything that needed unpacking, and having been sitting on a train for the last few hours, he decided that he didn't want to sit any longer. After quickly straightening out his main, the stallion exited his room and went to retrieve his list of things to check.

The list was exactly as Nightline dreaded. Long, and full of the most minuscule things. For his entire first day, the Wordsmith wandered around the Crystal Empire checking off that various things were still on schedule. Street cleaners, Crystal polishers, and every local catering business. There wasn't a single detail which Nightline wasn't meant to check off. At the end of his list, he was meant to check on the decorations. Looking at the final item, he noticed that it said that the pony in charge of that specific section of the Summit was from Ponyville. He smiled at reading this, for he knew only one pony from Ponyville meant to decorate for a party: Pinkie Pie. Holding that smile on his face, Nightline trotted over to the center of town where the main festivities would be held. There was a large group of Crystal Ponies there, all doing their part in decorating the square. And standing in the middle of them all giving directions was the mare in charge, and seeing her caused Nightline's soul to shatter.

This mare was not Pinkie Pie; in fact, Nightline knew exactly who it was. Even though she had grown out her deep red tail, the colorful paint pallet and adorable white freckles on her cheeks left no doubt in his heart. The pony called from Ponyville was none other than Iris Pinkberry. Quickly checking off the decorations for that day, the stallion bolted away from the square and straight towards the castle. His heart raced as he fled, not wanting to chance being seen by the mare who had stolen his heart. Bursting into the castle, he slammed the Crystal doors behind him, holding them shut with his entire body as he breathed heavily.

"I assume everything is going according to plan?" The voice of Princess Cadence said.

Nightline looked to find her standing in the entryway, looking at him with a cocky smile.

"Everything except the fact that you brought Iris here to be in charge of decorating!"

"Did I?" She asked innocently.

The stallion could hardly form a coherent thought as the reality of Cadence's plan became clear. Sputtering out random combinations of noises, he attempted to speak.

"Why?" Was all he could manage.

"I've given you the opportunity to give her a second chance. And I want you to try, because I know you still love her, and she hasn't forgotten about you."

"Yeah, I'm sure she hasn't. Like the way I completely destroyed any positive image she may have had of me."

"Come now. You know her heart as well as I do. There's hardly any room for hatred in it. Try, Nightline. Try."

And try, Nightline did. He tried every second of every day to avoid any interaction with the artistic Pegasus. For three days, until the day of the Hearts & Hooves Day Love Summit arrived. The Wordsmith wasn't really able to participate to any extent in the festivities, because he was still needed to gallop from one location to the next ensuring that everything was going smoothly. The streets he found were clean, and every statue was beautifully polished. The caterers were kept busy, but were glad for the business. As he was walking down the street, Nightline noticed that one of the many tapestries had come loose, so he used a basic spell to lift it and tie it to its hooks.

"Nightline!" A sudden female voice shouted from behind.

The stallion turned just in time to see Iris Pinkberry galloping towards him, a smile painted on her face. Nightline felt an enormous mix of emotions fight for dominance in his heart, and so as she reached him, he could only choke out a chuckle and force a nervous smile.

"Hey, Iris. How's it going?"

"Shiny. Very shiny," she replied, making herself laugh. Nightline was surprised by how friendly she was being, given the way he had sent her off on their last meeting. "Sorry about the tapestry. I was just on my way to fix it when you happened by."

"Don't worry about it. It was nothing," he replied, glancing around in hopes that some crazy accident would kill him so that he wouldn't have to endure his own inhibitions any longer.

"So, I hear you were the big colt in charge of keeping everyone on track. Looks like you did a pretty good job," Iris praised, giving him a very brief pat on the shoulder.

When she made contact, Nightline could swear he felt electricity between them. For just a moment, a familiar feeling of serenity overtook him. As if everything in the world was right. In that moment only, for the feeling quickly vanished.

"Why didn't I see you come around my area?" She asked.

Awkwardly, he shifted his gaze. "Well, I could see that you guys were doing fine, so I focused on the areas that really needed help," he lied.

Hearing this, Iris puffed out her chest in mock-pride. "Hmm, why thank you." Once again, she made herself laugh. "Hey, you wanna grab something to drink? Those crystal berries make one heck of a shake. Come on, my treat."

Without even waiting for a reply as she always had, Iris began walking and leading Nightline down the road and towards an ice-cream bar. The stallion couldn't believe how nice she was being, after the way he had treated her. She was acting as if it had never happened. Before he knew it, they were both sitting at a table enjoying their choice of Ice Cream Sundae and making idol conversation.

"So, how's the art career going?" Nightline asked.

"It's going great, actually. I've been getting a lot of big commissions, and since they pay so much, I don't have to take as many jobs. I've been able to spend more time at home and with friends. What about you? How's life in Canterlot?"

Nightline was glad to hear that Iris' life kept moving after he'd left. "I'm doing alright. Things have been quiet for a while. No huge disasters, no attacks, no big assignments. Just me and Cherry Blossom against boredom."

"Don't forget Percy. He's there too," Iris added, giggling.

The stallion chuckled. "Yes, him too. I suppose it hasn't been all quiet. I did have this fan club come all the way from Phillydelphia just to get my signature on my book. That was an interesting day."

"It must've been. How'd they know where to find you?"

"They didn't. A friend of mine told them who I was and lured me to the theater to meet them just so he could win a bet."

Iris almost spit out her drink upon hearing his explanation. "No way. Someone really did that to you?"

"Yeah, it was quite the day."

The two ponies broke out in innocent laughter, probably more so than the story deserved. But they were both too caught up in the comfort and joy they felt around one another to notice. The entire time they were talking and eating, Nightline's heart was set aflutter. He felt so at peace talking to his old friend, and even when the conversation began to feel more casual than strange, his heart still continued to beat. Like the sound of drum, it set its own rhythm, and his souls began to sing.

 _I tried to push away her grace._

 _She tried to fight her way into my heart._

 _Maybe I should have given her a chance_

 _To be, every, thing I need._

 _Maybe we could have had our one romance._

When the two had finished with their treat, they stood and left. Together, they wandered the Crystal Empire without a care in the world. The song of Nightline's heart carried on, as did Iris's heart join in. With every sight they saw, a new line was forged.

 _He pushed away my every attempt._

 _But I could not forget the love I felt._

 _Maybe we were destined to receive this chance_

 _To live, together again._

 _Maybe we could create this one romance._

Eventually, Nightline and Iris found themselves standing beneath the Crystal arch where the Crystal Heart would be appearing later that night. Turning to face each other, the song of their hearts became vocal. Their voices harmonized beautifully for all to hear, as their souls collided in a flurry of renewed love.

 _Maybe we can make this life,_

 _Make this love_

 _Something real._

 _It may be true that you and I could_

 _Share our hearts,_

 _The way we feel._

N: _I knew that I would make it back._

I: _I knew that you'd be true._

 _We knew whatever path we took_

 _Would lead me back to you._

As the last note from their song faded to nothing, Nightline leaned his head down to nuzzle the pony who had stolen his heart all over again. Iris returned the nuzzle, closing her eyes blissfully. Neither of them could have been happier, for the Love they had found as young ponies had returned to them that much stronger.

Pulling back, Iris broke the silence. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. Iris, I am so sorry-" but he was silenced by a simple "shh."

"I know."

With a joyful smile, Nightline nodded. From those two words, an enormous weight was lifted from his chest. He was forgiven. Letting his silver eyes meet her blue, the two simultaneously leaned in and ever so tenderly, their lips met. It only lasted for a few seconds, but those few seconds felt like they were spend at the center of a lightning strike. The atmosphere around the two was set ablaze by the love expressed in that one single kiss. And when they separated, their eyes met once more. To Nightline, Iris had never looked so beautiful before. And to Iris, Nightline's silver eyes had never sparkled so brilliantly. Suddenly, the heat of the moment was interrupted by another heat, as if a pair of eyes was burning holes in Nightline's right side. Turning, he attempted to spot whoever was staring so intently, but found that there wasn't another pony around.

"What's wrong?" Iris asked.

Seeing as Nightline saw no one, he brushed off what he had felt and turned to face the pink Pegasus before him. "It was nothing."


	26. Tears that Could not Fathom

**And here's the next one! This is a part two perspective of the last chapter, so this is all happening while the last chapter was happening. You'll see what I mean.**

Chapter 26

"Today is the day," Princess Luna thought as she readied herself for bed.

And the day she was referring to was none other than Hearts & Hooves Day, Equestria's celebrated day of love. And it would also be the first ever Love Sumit for those attending in the Crystal Empire. On this day one year ago, Luna had opened her heart to the idea of finding love, and had her hopes shattered by one simple truth: Immortal Alicorns were forbidden from romance. Celestia was adamant on this fact, but still Luna begged for an acception. Finally, after a heated argument, she gave her sister a choice. Either abide by the laws which had been in place for thousands of years, or follow her heart and live with what could be dire consequences. It took many months for Luna to decide, but she finally chose the latter, believing that she would be able to handle the pain of losing a loved one to death. And she had a plan set out for what she would do.

Hearts and Hooves day would be the day she took action. She had an entire day planned for her and Nightline Wordsmith to spend together, leading up to her confessing her feelings for him in the gardens of Castle Canterlot. Her plans were changed suddenly only a few days prior, when Nightline was invited to help organize the Love Summit in the Crystal Empire. Only three days before her plan could be enacted, her Wordsmith departed north. But Princess Luna refused to give up. She had fought through her sister's obligations and her own inhibitions already, so a few tens of miles was hardly a barrier against her. When she woke from her daytime slumber that afternoon, she didn't hesitate to slip out her window and soar towards the Crystal Empire.

"I'm coming," she thought to herself, speaking to her soon-to-be lover.

It was the early afternoon when the moon Princess set out from Canterlot, and even flying with all her might, she knew it would take at least two hours to reach her destination. So she flew on, beating her wings against the air around her with a smile spreading from ear to ear. With every mile she gained, her heart swelled even more, and her confidence that her sister was wrong about what love would bring her grew ever stronger. Mile by mile, inch by inch she flew, viewing every beautiful landscape with more admiration than she ever had. Equestria had never looked so colorful and bright, nor had the blue skies above her met the horizon so elegantly before. Though it felt like years, the few hours still eventually passed, and the Crystal Empire finally appeared in the distance. Her heart felt as if it were overflowing; the time had arrived.

Princess Luna didn't even stop to enter the city from any of its normal entrances. Instead, she flew directly over and down towards one of the main roadways. Many of the Crystal Ponies enjoying the Summit were surprised to see her, but still showed their respect and small affections in celebration of love. And for once, she was ready to receive them. Each of her subjects gave her a friendly greeting, and she couldn't be happier to return them in kind, knowing that she had love to spare. As she mingled with the many ponies around, each and every one of them could hear a song of love in the air, sung by distant voices. And distant as it was, one of the voices was unmistakable: it was Nightline.

"The Wordsmith from Canterlot sings in celebration of love," one of the surrounding ponies said, looking around with a touched expression.

"My Wordsmith," Luna thought, as she began to hone in on the voice. Her heart raced, as did she.

Dashing from street to street, Luna continued to attempt to locate her beloved Nightline before his voice ceased to sing. Luckily, he wasn't using his magic, or else her and the entire city would be trapped beneath his spell. As she turned another corner onto yet another large road, she could see the town square in the distance. It was clear that the origin of the singing was in the square, but just out of sight, for the Archway which would shelter the Crystal Heart was beyond the corner of a building. Luna ran as fast as she could, a smile on her face. She knew exactly what she would do and say, and had every detail planned out. There was no fear of rejection in her heart, no inhibitions. She had prepared for nearly a year to do what she was going to do. She was ready. Luna turned the corner just as the last words of the song we uttered, and that last harmonized chord was the last thing she heard before her entire world shattered.

" _...to you,_ " Nightline sang, as he stared passionately into the eyes of the Pegasus who had broken his heart at the Grand Galloping Gala, before leaning in and nuzzling her affectionately.

Luna could do nothing but look on in horror at the scene before her. It wasn't long before Iris pulled back and broke the deafening silence which filled the air.

"I missed you," she said.

"I missed you too, Iris," Nightline replied. "I am so sorry-"

The Pegasus silenced him with a "shh."

"Yes, Nightline," Luna thought with sadness and anger. "You did nothing. It was her."

"I know," Iris said.

With eyes full of love and passion, the two ponies began to lean closer to one another.

"Nightline, please don't," Luna begged in her own mind, tears welling in her eyes as she knew what was about to happen, yet she could not turn away.

Her pleas were not answered. Instead, her heart was broken as Nightline and Iris met with a kiss. That one kiss, powerful enough to fill the void within the stallion, destroyed every hope that the Alicorn Princess had for her future. Words could not describe the pain she felt, and the tears that escaped her eyes could not fathom the sadness they would need to display to equal their creator. For only a few short moments, the kiss continued, but those moments felt longer than one thousand winters of solitude upon the moon. And when they broke, the two ponies still continued to stare into each other's eyes, while Luna watched on.

Suddenly, Nightline's eyes began to shift in the Moon Princess's direction. Luna acted on pure instinct, not wanting to be seen, and bolted as fast as she could to hide behind a nearby building. As she hid, she sobbed. There were no ponies nearby to see her, so she let her true feelings show. She was broken.

"Sister, forgive me," she choked out, knowing full well that the deed was done and there was no turning back.

"What's wrong?" Iris asked, as Nightline had his eyes trained on the spot where Luna once stood.

"It was nothing," he replied.

Wishing to hear nothing more, Luna focused all of her anguish into a powerful long distance teleportation spell, and in a bright flash, she was gone. Not back to Canterlot, for she knew she could not face her sister now, nor could she sit and wait for Nightline to return knowing what the sight of him would do. Instead, she appeared deep within the heart of the Everfree Forest, where a long abandoned and decaying castle stood. In the main hall of her old home, Luna collapsed to the floor and weeped. In her agony, she cried out, and in her anger she bellowed. She begged the universe to end her suffering, knowing full well that no such mercy would be delivered to her; or so she thought.

In her sobs, a malicious yet caring voice filled her ears. "Oh, Luna. Poor poor Luna. We knew this would happen, didn't we?" It asked.

"No," Luna replied. "He was meant to be different. I thought he would be different."

"But we always think that. About every new subject. Every hope, every desire which goes unsated. But they will never love you."

Luna hated the voice she was hearing, for she knew its identity, but she hadn't the strength nor the will to fight it. Instead, she laid her head down to the floor and continued to sob.

"Oh, my sweet vessel. Weep not for your pain. It will be gone soon enough. Come to me, now, and we will right the wrong which has been done to us. Submit to me, now, and we will have everything you hoped for. His loyalty, his friendship. His love, everlasting. Forever," said a dark Alicorn Empress, as she began a sinister walk towards the castle exit. "I will win over he who truly cares for us. The one who is strong enough to care for us, and the one who is worthy of me. My Fraid Vocality; we will rule the eternal night together."

The air of the Everfree Forest filled with malicious laughter as the figure of Nightmare Moon appeared in the light of the setting sun. Baring her sharpened fangs, she ignited her horn and from the horizon, brought the moon up high, and when it was in place, the Empress shot a single crimson bolt from her horn up to her celestial body, and when it struck, the moon was locked in place and turned the same crimson color as the magic which placed it.

"Now, Equestria, say goodnight to this, the final setting of the sun. Tomorrow dawns in darkness, for the night time has begun."

Back at the Crystal Empire, the Love Summit was going well. Nightline and Iris were slowly wondering the streets, completely engrossed in each other's company. They trotted aimlessly around the city, with no desire but to be with each other. The spirit of love was strong everywhere they went, and as the sun began to descend, they knew it was time for the final event of the Hearts & Hooves Day Love Summit: the blessing of the Crystal Heart. Smiling, Nightline led Iris back to the Crystal Arch, where the heart would be appearing at sunset. The two arrived at the same time as every other attendant of the festival, and were lucky to find a place to stand relatively close to where Princess Cadence would be giving her speech. Before long, she appeared before the crowd and the crowd of ponies quieted down.

After a few moments of silence dragging on, Cadence finally spoke. "Ladies and Gentlecolts, welcome to the final ceremonies of the Hearts & Hooves Day Love Summit. I would like to thank you all for coming-"

Suddenly, the entire sky erupted in a crimson light, bringing Cadence's speech to grinding halt. Everypony in the audience as well as the Princess of Love herself stared up in horror as they witnessed an early and sinister moon rise to its place in the sky, darkening all of Equestria to a terrible night. Nightline and Princess Cadence both had the same thought as they exchanged a weary glance, just before the stallion broke into a sprint in the opposite direction. He was running straight for the train station.

"Nightline!" Iris called out.

"I've gotta get to Canterlot!" He replied, breaking free from the crowd.

"Oh don't bother. She isn't there," a soft but incredibly loud voice announced, stopping Nightline in his tracks and causing many of the Crystal Ponies to gasp..

Nightline turned from where he stood just in time to see the figure of a large and dark Alicorn with a main flowing in starlight materialize between him and the remainder of the ponies. He recognized her immediately as the same pony who had crashed the Summer Sun Celebration the day he earned his Cutie Mark: Nightmare Moon.

"What have you done?" Nightline asked, as his blood slowly began to boil. Then a second time, this time shouting, "what have you done?"

"Oh, I assure you, I did nothing. You might instead ask what your princess did. Poor little Luna. All she ever wanted was love, from you most of all."

"Stop with the lies, Nightmare Moon! Give back Princess Luna!" Nightline commanded.

"She gave you her heart, you know. She came here to confess her love to you, all hopeful. And what did she find but heartache and betrayal as you ran around with...this," the Alicorn explained, using a levitation spell to pick up a pink Pegasus from the crowd and pull her to hover in the air between them, the entire time struggling to break free.

"Let me go!" Iris screamed.

"Iris!" Her lover called out, rushing forward to save her. He stopped in his tracks, however, when Nightmare Moon manipulated her body to be painfully spread out, threatening to tear her apart.

"Ah ah ah, I wouldn't test your strength against mine," she warned as Iris cried out. "I'm going to kill her now."

"No!"

Before anyone could react, Iris' limbs began to slowly be pulled. Nothing could be seen being injured or broken, but she was obviously in pain as she screamed. Desperately, Nightline activates his spell and focused it on Nightmare Moon.

"Release her!" He commanded.

"Not good enough!" She replied, picking up the speed of her torture. Nightline could see a few feathers being plucked from Iris' wings. "You know the power you will need to save her. Show it to me! Give him to me!"

Nightline knew to whom he was referring, and he could feel Fraid Vocality's power rising. Without any other options to save is beloved, the stallion prepared himself to be taken.

"Don't do it!" A strained voice called out. Nightline looked up to see Iris, tears streaming down her face as she focused on him. "Don't do what she wants!" Another cry of pain escaped her lips. When she was able to collect herself once more, she stared into Nightline's eyes and said softly, "I believe in you."

"That's enough from you!" Nightmare Moon said angrily. Almost immediately, the magical aura surrounding Iris constricted around her neck.

The Pegasus squirmed, unable to breathe and suffering as her limbs were pulled nearly off of her body. As she struggled, Nightmare Moon stared and smiled. She relished in the suffering of the pony who had stolen Nightline away. But while her eyes were trained on Iris, she did not see that Nightline had found his own strength. His love for Iris had pushed away Fraid Vocality's presence. With fury in his silver eyes, the stallion charged forth. The distance between him and Nightmare Moon closed in no time at all. When he reached within three meters of her, he let his horn begin its sparkling aura and let out a mighty cry. Just as the soundwave escaped his gullet, his body collided with hers. The force of both impacts was enough to break her hold on Iris and send the dark Empress rolling across the floor. With the spell broken, Nightline rushed to Iris' side, wanting to check on her condition. To his great joy, she was only in pain, but otherwise uninjured. As he inspected her condition, Princess Cadence finally leapt forth to stand over Nightmare Moon where she lay, shocked and angry on the ground.

"You resisted me," she whispered to herself, surprised that her plan didn't work.

"Don't move," Cadence commanded, spreading out her wings and igniting her horn threateningly.

Nightmare Moon was hardly impressed. With blinding speed, the Empress quickly sent out a ray of dark magic which struck Cadence in the chest and sent her hurdling back. She then stood and glared at Nightline where he sat cradling Iris.

"This is not over, Wordsmith. Come, save Luna if you can at the Castle of the Two Sisters."

With cackling laughter, Nightmare Moon was engulfed in the swirling mass of stars which served as her mane. Soon enough, she vanished entirely and left the entire Crystal Empire shocked to the core.


	27. Premonitions

**Here we are! Things are getting exciting. I've had the details for this last bit of the story planned out for ages. It feels so good to finally be writing them out!**

Chapter 27

Nightline Wordsmith and Iris Pinkberry departed immediately for Canterlot. Princess Cadence provided them with a chariot and two Pegasi to draw it, but she herself had to stay in the Crystal Empire and organize the safe return of every attendee of her Sumit. The trip back took just over an hour, but it was hardly a silent hour. Instead, The two lovestruck ponies talked endlessly about what they were to do given the current situation.

"Are you sure about this?" Iris asked, after having heard Nightline's intentions.

"I have to, Iris. Luna is still in there somewhere, and I will get her back. I'm gonna leave Cherry Blossom with my parents, then I'm gonna save her."

"Nightline, you heard what Nightmare Moon said. Luna was in love with you-"

"We don't know that!" He shouted, silencing the Pegasus. After a short pause, he continued. "All we know is that Nightmare Moon is back. We don't know how or why, and we can't trust anything she says."

"But what if she wasn't lying? If it's true, then maybe you shouldn't be the one to go."

"She was lying. Luna would've talked to me if something this huge was going on. I know she would've. I have to bring her home."

Iris sighed, looking ahead as Canterlot appeared in the distance. "I hope you're right."

The chariot hadn't even touched the ground before Nightline leaped from its floor down to the stone road below. The guards in front didn't hesitate to let him enter, and he did so with no sense of decency for the sleeping. He ran through the entryway into the main atrium, through the many halls and finally into the Royal Hall, where he knew Princess Celestia would be. The room was dark when he entered. No light shone through the stained glass windows, and none of the torches held a flame. Nightline couldn't see two feet in front of him, let alone to the other side of the room. With this little visibility, he opted to cast a spell which turned his horn into a flashlight. The silvery light which it sent out in a cone had a limited range, but it was enough to allow Nightline to proceed. Slowly, he walked up the red carpet towards the thrones, scanning the room as he did. He immediately noticed that the torches which hadn't been lit were smoldering on the ground, not even in their docks upon the wall. Each of the stained glass windows which shed no light did so because they were covered by tapestries, each adorned with a sewn picture of Celestia and Luna together. When Nightline came within range of the three thrones, he let his light shine upon them. To his great relief, he saw Princess Celestia standing before them and facing the opposite direction.

"Celestia," he said, joyfully but urgently. "Something happened to-"

The unicorn stopped speaking. Looking on, he noticed things which at first glance weren't apparent. Celestia wasn't standing before her own throne, but instead stood before Luna's. Her head hung low as she stared at it, and she barely moved when she hear Nightline's voice. After a few moments of silence, Celestia began to slowly turn to face him. The first thing Nightline saw was that her face held an almost emotionless expression. There was only the slightest hint of sadness and regret. Her bloodshot eyes and face wet with old tears were the only indication that she felt anything.

"Princess?" He asked, concerned.

"Nightmare Moon has been allowed to return."

"I know," he replied. "That's why I came back. We need to figure out how to get Luna back."

The room again fell silent for a few moments before Celestia offered any response. "No. My sister's punishment is final."

Nightline was taken aback. Surely she didn't mean Luna? "Your sister's punishment?" He asked.

Celestia nodded solemnly. "Luna allowed this to happen. She did this willingly, and so the consequences are hers."

"Willingly? Princess, what could Luna possibly have done to make this her fault? You can't punish her for something she can't control. We have to save her-"

"No," the solar Princess interrupted sternly. Taking a few steps towards the unicorn, she spoke with a much softer tone. "Nightline, Luna fell in love with you."

When Celestia told him exactly what Nightmare Moon had, he stepped back in horror. He refused to believe the slander being thrust down his throat by the sister of his closest friend. Shaking his head, he scowled at her, knowing that Nightmare Moon must have come to her and told her the same story she had told him.

"How could you believe what that witch is spreading around?"

"Nightline," she tried to reason.

"No, I don't want to hear anything you have to say!"

"Nightline, calm down."

"How could you call yourself her sister when you don't even trust her enough to know she would never do something like that?"

"Nightline, I was there!" Celestia shouted, completely silencing the Wordsmith. "I spoke to her the day she gave you her heart. It was one year ago today, on the day I announced Cadence's wedding. On that day, she convinced herself of things which aren't true. That immortal Alicorns aren't forbidden from romance. I fought with her that day, and told her of the consequences that would unfold if she pursued a life with you, and now I know that she didn't listen."

Nightline continued to listen in disbelief.

"She didn't listen and now, those consequences have come. A powerful heart is broken, and that heart has given in to its darkness. Nightmare Moon is here, and so the only action left to me is to banish her once and for all."

"What?" The stallion shouted, shocked by the punishment he had heard. "Celestia, you can't banish Luna! We can still save her! You're her sister, you've got to reconsider!"

"I will not. My sister, as you call her, chose her path. And now there is a price to pay."

"How can you say that? Fine! Some Princess of Light. I'll save her myself!" Nightline bellowed angrily.

"You will mind your place, Wordsmith, and you will do no such thing! I forbid you from taking any action on the matter. Myself, Twilight Sparkle, and her band of friends will use the Elements of Harmony and my own power to capture Nightmare Moon. Like it or not, her sentence will be banishment."

Nightline could feel his blood boiling, but also knew that there was no sense arguing with the Princess of the Sun. Instead, he sneered and stormed out of the room, leaving Celestia to her darkness. He wasn't in the hallway for a few seconds before he encountered Iris Pinkberry and his daughter, Cherry Blossom. Neither of them looked to be very excited about the state of things.

"Dad!" Cherry exclaimed, leaping forward to receive a comforting hug, which was quickly given.

"Nightline, what's the story?" Iris asked.

After pulling away from the little filly, he replied, "Celestia has decreed that Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna alike are to be banished, eternally."

Both of the ponies before him looked shocked, but said nothing. Nightline didn't wait for a reply, either, and instead spoke once more with a determined look in his eyes. "Cherry Blossom, go get Purcy. We're going to see Iris home to Ponyville safely.

Not a half hour later, the three ponies were departing their chariot in the middle of Ponyville. Cherry Blossom was constantly checking on the feline riding between her wings as they walked through the streets. Many of the Ponyville residents were panicked and afraid, evidently already having noticed the crimson moon and deduced why it was in their night sky. Though they were in her hometown, Iris didn't even try to go back to her house. Instead, she stuck to Nightline's side as he led them to his parent's.

"Nightline!" A familiar voice shouted. The stallion turned to see Twilight Sparkle Galloping towards him with Spike barely holding on on her back. "What's going on? Has something happened to Princess Luna?"

Twilight's question brought more joy to the Wordsmith than it should have. Her lack of knowledge was proof that Celestia still hadn't called to assemble her Nightmare-Banishing Team, which meant that Nightline still had time. Time enough to do what he had truly come to Ponyville to do: he was going to save Princess Luna.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any more info than you do," he lied. "I'll send a letter to Spike or come to you personally if I learn anything."

Before Twilight could inquire any further, Nightline led Iris and Cherry away in a jog. At that pace, it didn't take long for them to reach their destination. Without knocking, they entered and closed the door behind them.

"Nightline!" Aria shouted joyfully as she stood from her seat at the kitchen table and rushed to embrace her foal. "Thank Celestia you're alright!"

"I'm so glad you guys are safe," he replied, returning the hug.

"What in Equestria is going on out there?" Erit asked as he took his place beside his wife.

"Hold on," he said. "Cherry Blossom, take Purcy upstairs and get settled." The little filly didn't hesitate to obey, leaving in a hurry. When she was gone, Nightline continued to explain. "Luna has been taken by Nightmare Moon."

"That's awful!" Aria replied.

"And Celestia decreed that she is to be caught and banished, this time for good."

"Banished forever? That can't be."

"It is, And I can't let that happen. I need you guys to watch Cherry Blossom while I go look for Luna. If I can find her and rescue her before they do, I might be able to change her fate."

"Wait, you're gonna what?" Iris asked, surprised by his plan.

"Are you sure it's wise to go against Celestia?" Aria seconded.

"I have to. I won't let Luna be banished for even one more day."

"But Nightline, this isn't Luna we're talking about. That's Nightmare Moon out there. She could really hurt you, and a lot of other people if she isn't stopped," Iris argued.

Lowering his eyes, Nightline began to feel that he was going to be fighting this battle on his own. Sighing, he replied, "Luna would never let her hurt me. If I can reach her, I can save her. And if I can do it, then I have to do it."

"You most certainly do," Erit chimed in, surprising everyone by backing his son. All looked at him in silence. "I'm proud of you, Nightline. It's when he has to do what's right against what everyone else tells him that a stallion's true colors are shown."

"Erit, you are not sending our baby out there alone!" Aria shouted.

"No, I'm not. I'm going with him."

Nightline was more shocked than anyone in the room. After preparing himself to fight against everyone to save Luna, he wasn't expecting the support his father was giving, nor was he ready to be told that he would be going along . He was the first to speak to his father's statement.

"You are?"

After a brief pause, Aria also voiced her opinion. "Erit, are you sure about this? You're a strong stallion, but not as strong as Nightmare Moon."

"If Nightline believes that Princess Luna is still in there and will protect us, then that's good enough for me."

With watering eyes, the pink unicorn lunged forth to embrace her husband. "Be careful out there, and keep our baby safe."

"I will. I promise, I will."

"And you!" Iris shouted, grabbing Nightline's attention. "Don't take any risks you don't have to, and if you think even for a second that Luna isn't there, you run."

Smirking confidently, he replied, "If it comes to that, she won't even be able to catch my dust trail."

"Alright, time's a-wastin. We better get moving!" Erit announced as he moved for the door.

Nightline was quick to follow, glancing back confidently at his love and mother to reassure them that he would succeed. Only moments later, the two stallions clad in their grey sweater and green work vest were ducking through the streets of Ponyville towards the Everfree Forest.

"Why are we hiding?" Erit asked as they hid from a very concerned yellow pegasus as she walked by.

"Everypony I know here won't support my going against Celestia's orders. If they find out what I'm doing, they'll be one more obstacle between me and Luna. Now come on, we're almost clear of Ponyville."

It didn't take long for them to do exactly as Nightline said. Without being spotted, the two stallions broke free from the town and began their trek towards the Everfree Forest. No words were spoken during that walk; instead, Nightline and Erit remained focused on their surroundings. The closer they grew to the forest, the more weary they became of predators, yet not a sound could be heard. The entire world seemed to stand completely still, beneath the crimson moon. No animals, no waving plants, nor even a breeze broke the silence. It was eerie and unnerving. The silence, solid as it was, became even more so when the two reached the border of their desired dark forest. Without hesitation, Nightline led his father in. Erit was much less brave, but still swallowed his fear to aid his son.

"So, how exactly do you know where she is?" Erit asked, moving closer to Nightline as the forest thickened around them.

"Nightmare Moon told me to save Luna at the Castle of the Two Sisters. That castle was the old capital of Equestria, where Luna and Celestia ruled together," he replied.

The stallion seemed confused by his son's answer. "Why would they make a dark forest the capital of Equestria?"

"Well back then, there wasn't a forest. The land here was the same as every other in Equestria: governed by magic. The weather was controlled by Pegasi, the growth of plants by Earth Ponies, and the source of the magic used by Unicorns. Legend has it that when Nightmare Moon first used her dark magic, she cast a shadow on this land which separated it from the rest of Equestria. The weather is wild, as are all the animals. The plants grow without aid, and some even developed a consciousness of their own."

As Nightline explained the history of the Everfree Forest, they both continued to wander. Though he knew that the castle he was seeking was within the Everfree Forest, he wasn't entirely sure where. Luckily, there seemed to be a path which led through. It was small and overrun with plants, but clearly an old road of some sort. He pressed on, followed closely by his father. They hadn't been walking for long when they broke into a clearing. It was small; only a few yards in any direction before the tree line appeared again. The clearing didn't seem all too significant until they wandered into its center, where Nightline had a mortifying moment of nostalgia. The clearing they were standing in was the same as the one he had been in when he dreamed of Fraid Vocality. From the size and shape all the way to the crimson moon overhead, it was the same in every detail.

"We need to keep moving," Nightline said, urging his father on. This confused Erit, but he didn't have time to question it.

Instead, the voice of a mare cut through the forest with a chuckle. "How perceptive; you recognized it."

"It's her," Erit whispered, as if it wasn't obvious.

"I've known about this place since the moment you told dear Luna of your visions."

Though Nightline wished it were a surprise, he had no such reaction when Nightmare Moon's voice became accompanied by the sound of K9 growling. One by one, pairs of red glowing eyes began to appear in the dark forest around them, most of them shifting in place. Nightline instantly suspected them to being to Timber Wolves. The only pair which moved circled them for a few moments before emerging, revealing the form of the mare whom they had come to find.

"Luna had similar premonitions before I came into Equestria, so I knew you'd come here."

"Release Luna," Nightline commanded sternly. "Give her back to us and you won't be banished again."

"What I didn't expect," she continued, ignoring him completely, "was for your sweet old daddy to come along. I can't fathom his motive for that foolish choice."

"I'm protecting my son!" Erit shouted, slightly angered by her blatant ignorance of fatherhood.

"Protecting him? Oh please. How could you protect him from me?" As she spoke, she extended her wings out, looming over the smaller ponies in a threatening manner. At the same time, the growls from the surrounding animals intensified, and they all emerged to prove Nightline's suspicions correct. "You can't even protect yourself."

As soon as she spoke those words, the Timber Wolves lunged forth. Before Nightline could react, his father jumped between them.


	28. Solitude

**This is it. The chapter, the scene that I've had planned in my head since the beginning. This chapter has been in the making for almost as long as the entire story. Before season 6, before the movie, before I even had a solid grasp of many of my character's personality traits. This chapter is where it was always going. And no, this isn't the end. But this is the chapter which motivated the entire story. Now before you get reading, you should all be aware that this is another chapter with song lyrics. I worked for months to craft the right lyrics for the scene you'll read, but sadly I came up dry. I was even more disappointed when the MLP Movie came out, and one of the songs in it was almost exactly what I was trying to create. After a great deal of turmoil, I came to the decision that this is a fan fiction, not a book or a screenplay (though I would LOVE to be able to animate it), so using a song now and then that I didn't write but fits the story well shouldn't be that big a deal. So disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to "Open up your eyes." All rights reserved.**

 **Secondly, I don't know why I failed to mention this sooner but this story is also on Wattpad. Even better if you wanted to read it there, Wattpad allows pictures. Almost every chapter you've read has had some form of a visual aid, sometimes multiple. This chapter in particular has a lot of them, all created by yours truly. If you would like to enhance your experience, head on over to Wattpad and take a gander. I highly recommend it for this chapter specifically, if not for the rest. Alright, that'll be all from me. Leave me a review!**

Chapter 28

The mares of Nightline Wordsmith's family sat at the kitchen table, anxiously waiting for any sign that he and Erit had been successful. Cherry Blossom and Aria tried to keep themselves occupied by cooking up dinner, but it did little to hold their minds. Iris, with no such distraction, was drowning in thoughts of her special somepony who had been hers again for less than twenty four hours. She sat in silence and begged fate to be kind; for Nightline to be right about Luna, so that he could save her and, more importantly, return home safely. Though she hoped for that outcome, in truth she had little faith that things would go so smoothly. Unlike Nightline, Iris didn't know Luna personally. All she knew was that Nightmare Moon was a tyrant with unmatched power and a desire to rule over all. She didn't trust that there was any good in a being of that kind, but she did trust Nightline's heart. Still, she worried for him. Her trust could not erase her doubt.

"Here you go, sweetie," Aria said softly, placing a short stack of buttermilk pancakes on the table before her. She and Cherry Blossom both sat with their own plates, but neither of them looked very hungry. All three ponies sat and stared at their food without touching it.

Minutes passed and felt like hours without a word. And without the sun to end the crimson night, it was hard to tell just how much time had passed. At one point, Applejack poked her head into their house to ask that they let Nightline know that they were summoned urgently to Canterlot, but the three mare's hardly took any notice of it. Time ticked on, and the minutes still felt like hours. Silence was the only sound which prevailed.

Silence, until the voice of a mare easily identifiable as Mrs. Cake called out, "On the edge of town! Nightline Wordsmith is here!"

Iris, Cherry Blossom and Aria all shot up simultaneously, rushing for the door with wide eyes. They broke from the wooden prison which they called home and onto the streets, where the first pony they saw was the one responsible for the announcement. She was on her way at a brisk pace to intercept the Wordsmith, evidently seeking some answers and unaware that he had been in town a short while prior. The three mare's of Nightline's family followed suit, quickly overtaking and passing by the hefty baker. When they saw the unicorn in the distance, they couldn't have been happier. He looked tired, but otherwise completely unharmed. Aria was the first to notice that something wasn't right; she slowed her pace to a walk, and then to a complete stop. Cherry and Iris both mimicked her, confused as to why her smile had disappeared. When asked by Iris, she gave no reply. Instead, her eyes remained locked on the figure of the one pony returning to Ponyville. Iris followed her gaze to the distance and observed closely, and she too noticed what Aria had. Cherry Blossom was much less observant, but still refused to leave her grandmother's side. The closer Nightline grew to Ponyville's entrance, the clearer his shape became, and the more the two mare's could make out. He wasn't alone; just the only stallion on his hooves. In his teeth, he drug a green contractor's vest, and in that vest was another white stallion, this one battered and unmoving.

"No," Aria whispered to herself. "No!"

Breaking into a sprint, she left the other two in the dust. It took only a matter of seconds for her to close the distance between herself and the entrance of Ponyville. She arrived just as Nightline did, and they both stopped dead. Aria didn't even acknowledge her son; instead, her eyes remained glued to the stallion on the ground before them. Nightline released the green vest and allowed the body to lay on the ground. It didn't move, nor did it breathe. The white coat which was normally spotless was stained with dirt, small amounts of blood, and darkened by bruises underneath.

"Erit," Aria said softly, attempting in vain to elicit a response as tears formed in her eyes. Nightline made no eye contact; he stood, clearly in a state of shock. "Please, no." Aria dropped to the ground and cuddled close to the body of her husband. Her composure of disbelieve broke within seconds. "No!" She cried, tears flowing freely as she hugged him. "Not my Erit!"

Her cries of agony could be heard across town, and felt for miles. Erit Guption was no longer in this world. Many of Aria's tears were already soaking into his lifeless coat when Iris, Mrs. Cake, and Cherry Blossom arrived on the scene.

Iris gasped as the scene before her came clear. "Take Cherry Blossom!" She shouted quickly. Mrs. Cake was fast to obey, grabbing the little filly before she could see the grizzly sight before them. She then rushed to the Wordsmith to check on his condition. "Nightline! What happened out there?" He gave no reply, nor even a sign that he knew she was there. "Hey, come on. Come back to me," she urged softly, taking hold of his chin and forcing him to look down at her.

After blinking twice, his shocked eyes finally aknowlwdged . "Iris," he said breathely. As his mind returned to reality, the reality returned to him just the same. He could hardly form a coherent sentence, but still he described what had happened. "Nightmare Moon. Timberwolves. Dad...protected…"

Slowly, Nightline shifted his eyes downward towards his father's body, still being held by his sobbing mother. Fresh tears shimmered in his eyes as he kneeled down to be beside her, looking both at her and Erit.

"Dad," was the final word he spoke before he too exploaded with tears. There was no hesitation in him or Aria to embrace one another. Iris quickly followed, dropping down to hug Nightline from behind as he cried. Sadness filled the crimson streets, as did the tears of a heartbroken family.

Less than an hour later, the group found themselves back in Aria's house. Erit was laid in their bedroom upstairs, cleaned and wrapped in sheets of white cotton. Aria and Cherry Blossom sat inside in the company of Mrs. Cake, who stuck around to offer her friendship and comfort. Nightline couldn't bare to stay inside, so instead he sat on the porch, staring into the void which happened to be towards the ground. Silently, he pondered his next move.

"I'm sorry that you couldn't save her, Nightline. You did everything you could," Iris consoled, reading his troubled expression. Hearing her words, he looked at her with apologetic eyes, signaling that what she had said wasn't entirely true.

Eyeballing him, she realized what his gaze was saying. "You're going back out there?"

"Iris-"

"She just killed your dad! How could you still think there's any good in her?"

"My Dad died helping me save her. The Timber Wolves, they didn't touch me. She didn't let them."

"They didn't touch you because _he_ didn't let them. She would've just as soon seen you in the same place."

"No," he said, his state of partial shock removing all sense of reason from his mind.

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes, Nightline."

"No, Luna wouldn't-"

"Luna is gone! She's gone, and she isn't coming back. You need to let her go, and let Celestia do what needs to be done."

"I can't! She's my friend!"

"Think of your daughter!" Iris exclaimed. Those words were finally enough to silence the Wordsmith. "Think of your mom. Your family!"

Nightline contemplated the very thing commanded of him for many silent moments. As a father, he had to do what was best for Cherry Blossom. As a son, he couldn't risk leaving his mother alone. But as a friend, he still felt that he couldn't abandon Luna.

"Think of me," Iris added.

Nightline looked at her solemnly. There was great conflict in his eyes, but it didn't appear that he was being won over. Instead, it appeared that his spirit was being broken. Seeing this, that even the thoughts of his daughter, mother, and proclaimed love of his life combined weren't enough to convince him to end his fruitless mission, Iris' blood grew hot.

"Are you serious?" She asked, sneering slightly.

"Iris-"

"No! You know what, forget it. I can't believe you," she scolded, standing from her place beside him.

Nightline was quick to stand and pursue as she moved for the door. "Iris, please!"

Turning angrily, the pink Pegasus got in his face and forced him to take a few steps back into the road. "After everything that witch has done, everything she's taken, you're still refusing to see the truth. You have a real family, but you're choosing to pursue a fantasy!" Iris then shoved him back roughly. "Do whatever you want, but you're on your own."

Nightline was shocked and hurt by her gesture, and couldn't fathom the words to say as she turned and stormed back towards the house. Instead, he turned away so that he didn't have to watch her slam the door behind her.

When she was gone, Nightline could feel no sense of happiness or hope. Instead, he stood and contemplated everything the last few days had cost him. "My closest friend. The trust of Celestia. My father. Iris." As he continued to list the things he has lost, he turned and stared out the way he came back into town, towards the Everfree Forest. His blood began to boil, and the sadness in his heart was replaced with anger. "If I can't save Luna from you, then Nightmare Moon, I will end you myself." Nightline broke into a sprint fueled by rage. Tunnel vision was all that led him forward as he broke from Ponyville and made way for the Everfree Forest.

Nightmare Moon paced back and forth in her castle, troubled by the way things were going for her. Once already, Nightline has resisted and overpowered her attempts to bring out his darkness, and only a few hours earlier, he had done something which bordered on a second. Granted, her plan to use the loss of a father to fuel his transformation was hardly a plan at all; it was more liken to a last minute decision. But still, his power was more unique than she was prepared for.

 _Earlier…_

"You can't even protect yourself," Nightmare Moon stated, spreading her wings to signal for her wooden mutts to attack.

The young stallion didn't have any time to react before one of the Wolves was already upon him. Mere inches away, Nightmare Moon almost called the wolf back, as she was expecting him to at least move. Of course, she didn't want him hurt. She needed him, so that he could become what she longed for: her own perfect servant. One who would serve her and love her. Fraid Vocality. She was glad that she didn't have to show any reserve or weakness by canceling her attack, as just in time, the Wordsmith's father jumped between them. The earth pony was more than strong enough to take the first wolf to the ground, but the others of the pack were quick to its aid. Within moments, he was screaming in agony as seven Timber Wolves battered his body and tore through his flesh. Nightline, with all his drive, still hesitated for a moment as he registered what was happening before his eyes.

When his hesitation passed, he cried out, "Dad!" He was quick to his father's aid, doing his best to buck the oaken beasts away, but he wasn't physically strong enough.

Driven by love and desperation, he pressed forth with his greatest power: his voice. Igniting the silver glow of his ivory horn, he let out a mighty bellow and slammed his body into the nearest wolf. It was the exact same thing he had done to save Iris Pinkberry in the Crystal Empire, and it had the same result. His voice resonated from his entire body and sent out a shockwave which sent every Timber Wolf close enough to him flying away. The same happened for the ones upon his father, and Erit's limp body rolled a few feet away towards Nightmare Moon. It stopped only one meter before her, as did Nightline when his desperate attack was complete.

"Dad!" He shouted, sliding to a stop at his side. It became immediately clear that it was far too late; Erit was gone. "No...Dad, wake up. Please, don't leave me."

Nightline continued to beg his father to return to him for a few minutes longer before finally giving up. His tears began to flow wildly, and his voice could be heard throughout the forest as he cried out.

Nightmare Moon quickly seized her chance. "He has left you, as everyone will. You are alone in this world. Give in to that, give in to your pain so that it will only be temporary. Let it take you, and you will hurt no more."

The unicorn, after hearing her words, looked up at her with grief-stricken eyes. His tears still flowed freely, but he no longer sobbed. Instead, his horn began to glow again.

"Luna!" He called out. "Luna, please! Come back to us!"

The dark Alicorn couldn't help but be amused. Frustrated, but amused that he was still trying to win back her weaker half. "Foolish young one. Luna isn't here anymore."

"Luna!" He shouted, this time with even more power. His voice carried across the entire forest.

Nightmare Moon's smirk faded. She could feel it; his voice which before had been useless on her was beginning to bare down on her heart. She could feel its power, reaching inside of her and grabbing hold of the Princess of the Moon.

Sneering, she shouted, "silence!"

"Luna, I need you! Come back!"

His spell was growing stronger.

"No! I said be quiet!"

"Don't abandon me, Luna!"

Nightmare Moon began to struggle. She could feel Luna fighting to break free. The more she tried to fight it, the stronger the Magic's hold on her became. She knew that if she stayed in that clearing, it would mean losing herself to her good half. Screaming with anger, the Alicorn tyrant blasted herself into the air with her powerful wings and retreated into the crimson night.

…

Nightmare Moon knew that if she was to fully corrupt Nightline Wordsmith and win over Fraid Vocality, she would need to defeat his magic. But she was also well aware that he was the first unicorn ever to have used such a spell. There was no counter in existence, nor a shield. No defense. It was at that moment that an idea struck the empress of the night: perhaps no defense was necessary. As with any magic, what Nightline's spell could do for the light, it could do equally for his inner shadow.

"Nightmare Moon!" A booming voice echoed throughout the Everfree Forest. "Come out, now!"

The Alicorn in question recognized immediately the voice she had heard. Nightline Wordsmith returned again to face her, and because of that, she smiled. His timing couldn't have been more perfect. Nightline had entered the Everfree Forest less than an hour prior and followed his steps to where he had seen her. In a small clearing, he ignited his horn and let his voice ring from his entire body, calling her name and beckoning her forth. The stallion looked around, waiting for some sign that he had been heard. Nightmare Moon didn't keep him waiting for long. As he scanned the clearing, she appeared on its edge, her face blank. Nightline sneered at her, his anger hidden by nothing.

Without a word, Nightmare Moon walked slowly back into the forest. Nightline didn't hesitate to begin the chase, galloping after her with great speed. When she disappeared behind the tree line, he picked up his speed. Mere moments later he too broke through the trees, only to find that she had vanished. Instead, he found himself standing on a cobblestone roadway just before a wooden bridge. Beyond it stood a large, dark, and decaying castle. Nightline knew immediately that the castle before him was the castle that he and his father had set out to find. The one they had never reached. Taking a hot breath at the memory, he pressed forward across the bridge.

When Nightmare Moon was successfully hidden beyond the tree line and upon the road leading to her castle, she used a transport spell to vanish and appear again within that castle's tallest tower. Hidden atop it's balcony, she peered down to see if the stallion had taken her bate. Sure enough, he was standing on the roadway and taking his first steps across the bridge. She smiled malevolently, for her plan was going perfectly. Her plan to teach Nightline of the world's terrible ways, and use his own magic to open his eyes to the truth of life within it. And with those thoughts, a song came into the air. And she sang as Nightline explored, searching the halls of the castle for the one whom he would either turn or kill.

 _It's time you learned a lesson._

 _It's time that you understand:_

 _don't ever count on anybody else,_

 _in this or any other land._

 _I once hoped for friendship,_

 _to find a place among my kind._

 _But those were the childish wishes_

 _of someone who was blind._

Nightline soon wandered into a hallway decorated with broken windows, each one allowing the moonlight to shine in. Growing tired of searching blindly, he focused the magical energy from his horn into his voice, and opened his mouth to speak. It was at that exact moment that Nightmare Moon materialized behind him, her own horn glowing with a dark magical aura.

With her magic seeping into the air around them, she took hold of the energy which radiated from the unicorn before her. Holding it tightly and locking it in her grasp, she then began to redirect it into her own body, allowing it to flow through her heart and into her own gullet. As she took hold of him, Nightline felt it. His soul churned unnaturally, and his mind grew fuzzy. He tried to end his spell, but found that he no longer had that option. When she was certain she held him in place, Nightmare Moon's song continued.

 _Open up your eyes,_

 _see the world from where I stand._

 _Me among the mighty,_

 _you caged at my command._

 _Open up your eyes,_

 _and behold the faded light._

 _It's time to grow up_

 _and get wise._

 _Come now little one,_

 _open up your eyes._

When Nightmare Moon had her magic wrapped around his heart and mind, she began doing what she had planned from the start. Images of Luna's childhood began passing before his eyes. Her every pain and suffering as she lived alone, without the love of anyone to give her a purpose, no matter how hard she tried. Then she showed him images of his own childhood. The days he spent alone and ridiculed because he had no Cutie Mark, and no talent to earn it.

 _We all start out the same,_

 _with simple naive trust._

 _Shielded from the many ways_

 _that life's not fair or just._

 _But then there comes a moment,_

 _a simple truth that you must face:_

 _if you depend on others,_

 _you'll never find your place._

The last image which passed through Nightline's mind was one seen very recently: his father, laid lifeless in his bed, and Iris Pinkberry abandoning him in his time of grief. The memory shown to him was painful. He tried to fight watching, but he couldn't turn away from his own mind, nor could he deny the truth that he had been left alone. He was hurt, grieving, but angry. Luna had left him, his father gave his life in what amounted to fruitless heroics, and the mare who claimed love couldn't support him for more than a day. Nightmare Moon spoke the truth; he could feel it. And Nightline could feel him.

With widening eyes, Nightline began to fight. Realizing what Nightmare Moon had done, he struggled more than ever to break her hold on him, but it was too late. His heart had given up, and his body along with it. He began to change, starting at his hooves and slowly moving up his body. His pelt darkened, and mane grew rigid, and his precious sweater vanished completely.

 _Open up your eyes,_

 _see the world from where I stand._

 _Me among the mighty,_

 _you caged at my command._

 _Open up your eyes,_

 _and behold the faded light._

 _It's time to grow up and get wise._

 _Come now little one..._

 _Open up your eyes._

 _Open up your eyes!_


	29. Let the Nightmare Begin

**I told you all that last chapter wasn't the last chapter! ;p so here's the next one. There's another song in this chapter, this one of my own writing. This one is actually the only one (save for Silky Tones) that has been featured in this story that I'm writing real music for. It's a bit difficult, but it's coming around. Alright, read and leave me a good review!**

Chapter 29

It had been multiple days since Nightline departed on his quest to find Princess Luna. His mother, Aria Stargazer, was more than worried sick. She hadn't been informed until he was gone that he had left again, and after the loss of her husband, she wasn't prepared to let him go. But she was given no say in the matter, and was left in the dark. Iris had sent him off in anger, but the longer he was away, the more she regretted not supporting him. She had let her temper dictate her actions, instead of being there for the stallion she loved in his time of need. With each passing day, she grew more and more worried that her actions had lead to a dire consequence.

Cherry Blossom was the calmest out of them all. Of course she worried for her father, but she was confident that nothing could beat him. No evil was strong enough to stop him when he had a job to do; he had shown her that time and time again. Instead of worrying about him, she spent her time making small tea sandwiches and little baked treats with Mrs. Cake to offer some comfort to her family. The only thing that troubled her mind was Princess Luna. Unlike Iris or Aria, she had gotten to know the princess just as her father had: as a friend. Cherry cared for her, and greatly hoped for Nightline's success in rescuing her.

While those mare's waited anxiously for something to happen, another group did just the opposite. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all worked together, making trip after trip into the Everfree Forest in order to track down Nightmare Moon. Celestia visited Ponyville daily to check on their progress and swap information, but the only thing the six ponies could ever tell her was that the castle they were searching for was nowhere to be found. They followed the same path they had followed the first time they faced the Empress of the Night, but each time arrived at a thicket of forest where the castle once stood. This troubled Celestia, but she was restless and continued to send the ponies out searching. She wouldn't stop until Nightmare Moon was apprehended and banished for her crimes.

Deep within the forest which had been searched so thoroughly, the Castle of the Two Sisters still stood exactly where it had always been. Nightmare Moon stood before her thrown, smiling with great satisfaction. Fraid Vocality was also in the room, standing on the velvet carpet floor and facing the entrance to the room. He was also smiling, feeling more than happy that he had finally succeeded in taking over Nightline's body and making it his own. Even greater was the joy that he could serve at the side of the only Alicorn with the strength worthy of rule. The only one who he could give any sort of respect. Powerful, beautiful, and benevolent.

"Are ya sure this is the way we came before?" The voice of an Apple Farmer said, only a few tens of yards from the castle. Both Nightmare and Vocality heard it well.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. This is the exact path we took," Twilight Sparkle replied.

"Oh goodie, they're back," Nightmare Moon said. "Do send them away again. Give them a fright, this time."

Vocality smiled in amusement before doing as he was instructed. It was only a few brisk paces before he found himself standing before the bridge, smiling as the voices of six ponies grew closer.

"It's right over here, I know it."

The dark unicorn ignited his horn. With a whispering tone which echoed ghoulishly for a fair distance, he spoke. "The castle isn't here."

"The castle isn't here, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said as they all broke through the tree line.

"It's just a forest thicket."

"This is the same forest thicket we've been to six times already! Or was it seven?"

"This doesn't make any sense. How could the castle just disappear?" Twilight asked, scanning her surroundings for any clue.

Vocality chuckled at how easy it was to fool them. "A screaming voice comes from the thicket…"

Nightmare Moon cackled uncontrollable as the six ponies fled back through the forest, screaming in terror. Fraid Vocality was doing the same as he returned from his illusion.

"Well done Vocality. Well done indeed."

"Thank you, Princess. The weak minded are so easily frightened. One sentient plant was all it took to send them running."

"By the sound of their screams, I would've thought you had shown them something much more threatening. Oh Vocality, with you at my side, overthrowing my sister will be almost too easy."

He smiled. "Let anyone who stands in our way be unable to stand ever again."

"Oooh, I like that. I may even need to trademark it," Nightmare replied, laughing softly. "Now, I feel a little drowsy. I'd like to take a bit of a rest before we go pay that wretched little town a visit. Come, see me to my chambers."

Vocality didn't hesitate to take his place beside her. Together, they walked through the halls of the castle in silence, enjoying one another's company. When they reached her room, Nightmare laid herself down in bed, on her side facing away from her friend and servant.

"Would you like a lullaby?"

"No. But I would like some company to aid my sleep. Come, lay with me," Nightmare Moon replied.

With those words spoken, the blankets of the large bed were magically pulled back to make room for Vocality to join her. There were no inhibitions as he climbed onto the mattress, laying behind the Princess and placing foreleg around her midsection, holding her with comforting strength. Nightmare Moon sighed, more than content to be held by the stallion behind her. In fact, she felt a great joy within his embrace, her heart fluttering as the one stallion she could give herself to was willing to accept her.

"Hold me until I wake," she commanded, her voice soft.

"Anything for you, my Princess."

…

"That was the scariest, most traumatic thing I have ever seen!" Rarity exclaimed as she and her friends came to rest in Ponyville after escaping the Everfree Forest.

"What in the hay even was that thing?" Rainbow Dash asked, exasperated.

"It wasn't like any animal I've ever seen," Fluttershy replied, also confused.

"Looked more like some kinda plant ta me," Applejack added.

"Or a spaghetti monster!" Pinkie Pie chimed in, still sounding as cheerful as ever.

Twilight was troubled. She paced back and forth, trying to make some sense out of anything that had happened since Nightmare Moon's return. "This doesn't make any sense. I've never read about a plant or animal like what we just saw. And how could the Castle of the Two Sisters just vanish? I feel like I'm missing something."

"Do ya think Nightmare Moon is using some kinda magic ta hide it?" AJ asked.

"Maybe she's the one who keeps making us see things that lead us out of the Everfree Forest," Rainbow added.

"No, that's not possible. Nopony in history has been able to use any illusion magic that powerful. Not even one of the Alicorn Princesses."

All six ponies went silent. Twilight's statement was wrong, and they all knew it the moment they heard it. There was one unicorn who used a spell of the aforementioned variety. Each of the six mare's exchanged a weary glance.

"You don't think-?" Rainbow Dash began, but was cut off.

"Absolutely not!" Rarity cut in. "Our Nightline would never!"

"I don't think so either," Twilight replied. "But we have to consider all possibilities."

"Hold on now, let's be realistic about this. Nightline wouldn't side with Nightmare Moon for anythang," Applejack argued.

"I don't think so either," Fluttershy seconded. "Nightline has always been there to help us; he wouldn't try to hurt anyone."

"Princess Celestia told me that he vanished from Canterlot the day Nightmare Moon returned. I saw him here briefly when he came to check on his family, but other than that, I don't think anypony has seen him," Twilight replied.

"He could've gone out to save Princess Luna, and Nightmare Moon could've done something to him," Pinkie Pie suggested, now uncharacteristically serious.

"Do you really think he would've done something so risky?" Rainbow asked.

Pinkie looked at her five friends with still serious eyes. "Well, yeah. Wouldn't you if any of us were in Luna's position?"

The six ponies sat for a few moments in silence. Finally, Applejack spoke. "We should go talk to his family. Maybe they know somethin' they can tell us."

"Good idea," Twilight agreed. "Let's hope it pays off."

Only a few minutes later, the six ponies arrived at the house of Aria Stargazer and Erit Guption. Twilight Sparkle was the one to knock on the door, but neither of the ponies she expected to open the door did. Instead, a little red Pegasus was the one to answer.

"Cherry Blossom?" Twilight asked, confused by her presence.

"Oh, hi Twilight," she greeted in a friendly manner.

"Hi. Is your dad here, too?"

"Cherry Blossom, come inside. You were suppose to be in bed already," another Pegasus chimed in.

The little filly was quick to vanish behind the door, soon replaced by Iris Pinkberry. "Hi girls," she greeted, less enthusiastically than the filly before her.

"Iris, is Nightline around?" Twilight asked.

The Pegasus was very obviously saddened by the thought. "No. No he isn't."

"Can you or either of his parents tell us where he is?"

Iris sighed, her eyes full of sadness. Taking a few steps forwards, she closed the door behind her so that neither of the ponies inside could hear them. "I forgot, you were all in Canterlot when it happened."

"When what happened?" Rainbow asked.

"Erit is dead."

All six of the mare's gasped in unison. Pinkie and Rarity both began to tear up.

"What?" Twilight asked in disbelief. "How could he be…?"

"Five or six days ago, he and Nightline went into the Everfree Forest to find Nightmare Moon. Nightline was hoping to find her and save Luna. They were attacked by Timber Wolves, and Erit was killed protecting his son."

Tears were flowing from multiple of the mares, including Iris as she recalled the events of that day.

"It can't be," Fluttershy said.

"What about Nightline?" Rarity asked.

Upon hearing her question, Iris began fully crying. The weight of what was happening was finally too much to bare. "I sent him away."

Applejack was quick to step forward and offer a comforting hug. This gesture, which Iris gratefully accepted, only succeeded in making her cry even more.

"I sent him away. He wouldn't give up on her, and I was so angry. He's been gone for days. I'm so scared. I'm afraid something happened to him. I want him to come home, and I'm afraid he never will. And it'll be my fault, because I wasn't there for him when he needed me."

"Now now, that's enough of that," Applejack scolded softly. "You know Nightline. He doesn't give up when his friends need him. He's too strong fer that. And he knows how much you really care, so anything you said or did wouldn't change how he felt."

As Applejack continued to comfort the sobbing pegasus, the quiet night became filled with the flapping of wings. Twilight was the only one to take any notice, and turned just in time to see Princess Celestia arriving by chariot for her daily visit accompanied by four of her personal guard. Not wanting to pull her friends away from their time of grieving, she discreetly stepped away from them and towards her mentor.

"Have you discovered anything yet?" Celestia asked, serious and straight to the point.

"Yes, Princess. We discovered something terrible," she replied, a few tears falling silently from her cheeks.

"Well, let me hear it."

Twilight took in a deep breath before beginning her explanation. "I know what happened to Nightline Wordsmith, at least in part. When he vanished from Canterlot, he came here to leave Cherry Blossom in good care before leaving to go find Nightmare Moon and save Princess Luna."

Celestia seemed immediately angry at this discovery. "That little insubordinate. I specifically ordered him to take no action."

"There's more. He didn't go alone. His father, Erit Guption, went with him. Erit was killed by a pack of Timber Wolves."

Celestia's anger faded immediately.

"After losing his father, Nightline went back into the forest alone. He hasn't come out for a few days now. He's been in there longer than we've been searching. Princess, the girls and I are afraid that something happened to him. What's more, we think that there is some kind of illusion magic happening in the Everfree Forest which leads us away from what we're trying to find. If it's true, then the only pony in Equestria who could do something like that is Nightline. But you don't think he would side with her, do you?"

Celestia didn't reply for a good few silent moments. Her face contorted with regretful thought, before she uttered one single word. "Vocality."

"Vocality? What's Vocality?" Twilight asked in reply.

There was no time her her question to be answered. Instead, the crimson night was filled with the sound of Nightmare Moon's cackling laughter. Celestia, Twilight, and all the other ponies currently outside standing on the street ceased whatever activity they were involved in and began looking in every direction, seeking the source of the laughter. Iris was quick to her hooves as she bolted to the center of the street, eyes full of fury. She was prepared to beat Nightmare Moon herself until she returned Nightline to them; she was all but certain that the witch was responsible for his disappearance.

"Hello sister. Glad you could make it," Nightmare Moon's voice said, continuing her laughter. As she laughed, a thick fog began to roll into Ponyville.

"Twilight," Celestia whispered. "The Elements of Harmony. Now."

The purple unicorn knew exactly what was being commanded of her, and with a nod, sprinted off towards her home. Her five friends followed quickly, and were soon out of sight.

"Show yourself, you hag!" Iris shouted, looking in every direction.

"Open your eyes, foolish child. I'm right here."

All eyes turned towards the Ponyville town center, which was for the most part enveloped in the thick fog still rolling in to Ponyville. But standing on its edge and emerging from it was the very mare Iris had called out. The pink Pegasus glared at her angrily, but also took a few steps back in obvious fear.

"Nightmare Moon," Celestia said, "end this foolishness. Lower the moon, now!"

"Oh Celestia, you know you shouldn't take that tone with me. I'm not one of your subjects who you can idly command. You only wish you had the power I possess."

"Don't make this harder than it-"

"Where is Nightline?" Iris shouted, silencing the solar Alicorn.

Nightmare Moon was confused at first by her question.

"Where is Nightline?" She repeated, this time a bit softer.

"Oh, that little stallion isn't around anymore. Sorry to break the news to you," she replied, chuckling maliciously.

Both Iris and Princess Celestia were struck silent by her response. For a few moments, the lunar Empress was allowed to laugh in her own amusement. Seeing the looks on the faces of the ponies before her only amused her more.

"What have you done with him?" Iris asked, charging a few paces forwards in a burst of rage.

"What I've done?" She asked, mocking offense at the question. Her charade ended quickly, her expression replaced by an evil grin. And with her grin came music which all could hear.

 _You yourself abandoned him,_

 _left him all alone._

 _He came to me heartbroken and_

 _enraged down to the bone._

 _He should have known that he_

 _never could have won._

 _Now look, and see,_

 _the nightmare he's become!_

All eyes turned again to center a few feet to Nightmare Moon's left, where a silhouette appeared in the fog. It was in the exact shape of Nightline Wordsmith, and appeared to be walking forwards towards the edge of the obstructing mist.

"Nightline!" Iris exclaimed, rushing forth in joy to meet her love. She stopped just before the fog, however, because the pony before her offered no response, as if he didn't care that she was there. "Nightline?"

The silhouette reached the edge of the fog and emerged. It wasn't Nightline; instead, the pony which emerged was a dark unicorn with black eyes and pointed teeth, but with a Cutie Mark identical to the Wordsmith. He smiled maliciously as he appeared, and continued Nightmare Moon's song in a low and raspy voice.

 _Far from the edge of the light and the darkness,_

 _giving the power to the evil, the heartless._

 _You knew a weakling but soon you will know me:_

 _I am Fraid Vocality._

All backed away, including Celestia, as the two dark ponies began to advance.

 **NM:** _The starting of the Nightmare!_

 **FV:** _You'll rue the day that you ever crossed me._

 **NM:** _Your day's by night are ensnared!_

 **FV:** _Look upon us with your hearts of envy._

 **NM:** _See us now and despair!_

 **Duet:** _Far from the edge of the light and the darkness,_

 **Duet:** _Giving the power to the evil, the heartless._

 **FV:** _You knew a weakling but soon you will know me:_

 **NM:** _Let the Nightmare…_

 **FV:** _I am Fraid Vocality!_

 **NM:** _Begin!_

"C'mon, guards! Let's get her!" One of the four guard ponies Celestia had brought shouted.

No sooner than he did did all four of them charge forward. Fraid Vocality chuckled before meeting their charge. Within moments, the five ponies collided. Vocality slipped past an attempted tackle by the first guard, managing to body slam the second who wasn't expecting him to make it past the first. The third and forth guards were both stopped as the second was knocked into them. By then, the first guard had turned and was charging back at the unicorn who had slipped him before. Vocality was wise to this, however, and turned just in time to grab the guard by the leg and swing him into the other three, knocking them all to the floor. They were down for only a few seconds before continuing their assault. Wanting to display his power, Vocality ignited his horn and let the magic flow inside of him. Rocking forward on his hooves, he let out a fierce battle cry, and with it came a powerful soundwave.

This soundwave, however, was different than the ones Nightline Wordsmith had come to utilize in times of need. Instead of the wave going out in every direction, Vocality's was directional. It was focused, and impacted only the four guards assaulting him. The stallion laughed as they were knocked back and completely unconscious.

"Enough of this!" Celestia shouted angrily.

Vocality looked up just in time to see the Princess ignite her horn in solar fury. Before he could react, a beam of bright Alicorn magic was hurled in his direction, but it never impacted. Instead, an orb of dark magic was launched from Nightmare Moon's horn to intercept the beam. When the orb came in contact with Celestia's attack, it proved strong enough to stop it and shield Vocality. Less than a fraction of a second after impacting the beam, it expanded rapidly and dispelled it.

"Afraid not, sister!" Nightmare Moon exclaimed, before hitting Celestia with a magical attack similar to that which she had sent at Vocality.

Celestia let out a cry of pain, knocked back and hurtling to the ground by the force of Nightmare's attack. Her servant, smiling viciously, began a charge towards the downed Alicorn. He was well prepared to finish the job and be one step closer to ruling Equestria alongside his Lunar Empress. In seeming slow motion, Celestia watched as Vocality charged. She was powerless to stop him, still immobilized by the impact of Nightmare Moon's attack. Slowly, to the point where the moments stretched on for hours, she watched. He came within striking distance, mere centimeters from ending the war before it started, when a light of many colors erupted from the side. Focused into a beam, that light struck Fraid Vocality and sent him flying across the street. The unicorn came to an abrupt stop as his body impacted a food cart, smashing it to pieces and leaving him dazed and nearly unconscious.

"What?" Nightmare Moon shouted, looking in the direction the attack had come from.

Celestia did the same, training her eyes on the source of the colorful attack. They had exact opposite reactions to what they saw. "Twilight!" Celestia exclaimed upon seeing her student and her friends all adorned in their respective Elements of Harmony.

"No!" Nightmare exclaimed, glancing between the six ponies and her fallen servant. Without him, she feared defeat facing the Elements.

"It's over, Nightmare Moon," Twilight said as she and her friends charged forth, attempting to surround her.

Seeing through their plan, the tyrant Alicorn leapt into the sky. She was prepared to flee with a vengeful heart, trusting in her servant's ability to escape as well. But her attempt failed. A bright beam of magical energy shot from where Celestia still lay and struck her while she was distracted, knocking her from the air and to the ground.

"Do it, Twilight! Finish this!" Celestia shouted, her voice full of desperation.

The six ponies listened without hesitation, surrounding Nightmare Moon where she lay. Twilight was quick to ignite her horn and begin the spell to capture and banish the Alicorn before her.

"Prrr?" A tail-less feline chirped, nuzzling the dark unicorn back to reality.

Fraid Vocality had been sitting in a smashed food cart, dazed from the impact of Twilight's attack. Shaking his head, he looked to the little cat who seemed delighted that he was alright. Just behind the feline, two more ponies stood. One, a little red filly, and the other, a grown pink Pegasus. The Pegasus looked skeptical as she looked at him, but the filly seemed only worried.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

He offered no response. Instead, Vocality scanned his surroundings, and surveyed the scene before him. Nightmare Moon was on the ground and surrounded by the six wielders of the Elements of Harmony. Twilight Sparkle had already initiated her banishment spell, which Vocality knew he couldn't let resolve. Standing, he used a levitation spell to lift the cat nuzzling him and place it gently on the filly's back. Giving the two ponies one last glance, he ran. It only took a few good strides before he landed beside his Princess, looking up at the six ponies with a devilish smile. All of them gasped in surprise.

"Try again next time," he growled before igniting his horn.

Less than a moment later, a soundwave carried across Ponyville and set all six ponies flying away. The two Pegasi were able to catch themselves, but the rest crashed painfully to the ground. Nightmare Moon smiled gleefully as she stood, laughing the entire time. Without a word, her main began to swirl and engulf the two of them before vanishing completely.

When they were gone, Iris Pinkberry ran to where they had been. Or more specifically, where Fraid Vocality had been. Looking around, her eyes filled with sadness. She uttered but one word as all of the defeated ponies around her gathered themselves. "Nightline."


	30. An Author's Dedication

**Another tenth Chapter! Sad to say this is the last tenth. Only a few more chapters to go. I actually got my first negative review on this story on the last chapter. Just so everyone knows, this story is a romantic/family drama. As such, there is a bit of drama. Thus the tags it is given. The negative review I got wasn't about my writing quality or the story itself, but just a reader telling me that they can't read the story essentially because it isn't a classic MLP style cupcake fest at this point. Don't get me wrong, I love that style of MLP, but this isn't that. I'm terribly sorry to anyone who isn't enjoying that aspect of the story, and I hope you find a better one to read. I DO want to offer a bit of reassurance in saying that yes, this is a drama, but it is NOT a tragedy and will NOT have a "bad ending." Now that that's out of the way, read on!**

Chapter 30

The door to Iris Pinkberry's house closed softly. It was dark; no lights were on in the entire building, and nothing but the dim crimson moonlight shone through the windows. The Pegasus walked slowly from her front door to the couch, a new tear falling with every step. Only a few hours earlier, she had seen and learned something which crushed her soul. Nightline Wordsmith, the pony to whom she had given her heart, was gone, and it was without a doubt mostly, if not completely, her fault. He was alone, and in his solitude, was corrupted by darkness and left as a shadow of his former self: Fraid Vocality.

Nightmare Moon had come to Ponyville to debut her return along with an addition to the hierarchy of her coming rule. Fraid Vocality had arrived on the scene in a spectacular show, and immediately demonstrated his prowess by overpowering four of Princess Celestia's personal guard with ease. Nightmare Moon had explained in song who Vocality really was, but Iris refused to believe it. That is, until after the two dark ponies were gone, and Celestia fully explained the situation to her and the remainder of Nightline's family.

It had begun nearly two years prior, when Nightline Wordsmith had first earned his Cutie Mark. He was old; far older than most late bloomers. He had no special skills, nothing that made him special, and worst of all, he had no friends to give him any reason to search. That changed for him the day Nightmare Moon returned and was defeated so that Princess Luna, Equestria's protector of the night, could be with her subjects once more. Nightline connected with the Princess as soon as he heard her story, and knew that someway, somehow, he needed to convey his feelings to her. But how could one young colt ever hope for a personal meeting with an Alicorn Princess? That was when he chose not to meet with her, but to speak to her.

That night, Nightline spoke to the moon. And when he did, his heart, mind, spirit and soul all aligned, and so the young unicorn discovered a brand new spell; a new category of magic which enhanced his voice and allowed him to touch the minds and hearts of those who heard him. So when he spoke to the Moon, Princess Luna heard him. At that moment, the two ponies each had their first real friend. Nightline Wordsmith awoke the next day with his Cutie Mark, and only a few weeks later, a letter was received from Canterlot. He was offered a job as a personal servant of Luna and Celestia, to travel Equestria as a royal dignitary and be a vessel for peace. But a pony barely out of his foal years could not so easily do a job like that, so Princess Celestia did something reckless.

Knowing that Nightline could never have the respect needed for the job he was given if he were only a young colt, the Princess of the Sun cast a spell on him intended to enhance his age. Unbenounced to her, the spell she cast instead enhanced the Wordsmith as a whole. His body, strength, magical prowess, his raw power. Every bit of him was affected by the spell. His inner light brightened, and the shadow it cast darkened. A shadow which took on a life of its own, and became Fraid Vocality.

 _Earlier…_

Iris was appalled as Princess Celestia explained everything to her and Nightline's family. His mother, Aria, couldn't help but cry as she learned of the fate of her child. But Iris was in denial.

"This can't be right. Nightline is the kindest soul I've ever met, how could he have something like that inside of him, even after that spell?"

"Every light casts a shadow, young one. Even one as pure as his. No one should ever have to hear this, but it would be cruel of me not to tell you. Fraid Vocality, for his service of Nightmare Moon and his crimes against Equestria, will be charged with treason and serve the same sentence as her: banishment," Celestia explained.

"What?" Aria exclaimed, her eyes widening and gleaming with fresh tears.

"You can't! What about Nightline?" Iris asked.

"He isn't there anymore."

"Yes he is!" Cherry Blossom's voice shouted from behind Aria. She quickly stepped forward to speak her mind. "You can't banish my dad!"

"Cherry, you must understand that your father has been taken by a very dangerous spirit. He isn't-"

"But he is!" She interrupted. "I know he is, because he gave me Percy!"

Cherry Blossom's words confused the Princess, but brought an expression of deep thought to the face of Iris Pinkberry. She knew to what the filly was referring; when Fraid Vocality had been struck by Twilight and her friends. Prince Purceus had rushed to his side and treated him as he would Nightline, and when Vocality woke, he was gentle with the feline as he placed it upon Cherry's back. Though Iris hadn't seen it before, as she thought of it now, it seemed true. There was something of Nightline left inside Fraid Vocality.

"She's right," Iris said. "Vocality was as gentle with Percy as Nightline would've been. What if he really is still in there?"

Celestia remained silent for a few moments which stretched on longer than any would have wished until finally, she replied. "Nightmare Moon will be banished without hesitation, but Fraid Vocality will be given a chance to change. But if Nightline does not return to us, then his shadow will be banished for all eternity."

…

Iris sighed softly as she lit a candle to provide herself a small amount of light. She was in no mood to blind herself by turning on any lamps, but saw no chance of herself falling asleep either. So instead, she allowed herself a small flame which she watched flicker for a long while. Her heart ached, as did her mind, for only one thought and feeling rampaged through both. She was to blame for Nightline's fall. She had sent him away, broken his heart in his time of grieving, and left him alone to face the most powerful tyrant Equestria had ever seen. He wasn't strong enough, and so he was lost. And she was to blame for that.

One thing Iris could still only barely believe was that the stallion she knew had a monster like Fraid Vocality hiding inside of him. She remembered fondly the times they had shared together. From their first meeting the day after Nightline earned his Cutie Mark; he was such an innocent young colt. At that point, he was actually shorter than her. Scruffy looking but handsome; to the day he returned from Canterlot as a stallion. That was the day she first felt her heart flutter around him. And ever since, he was always somepony special to her. And she failed him on every account.

Iris was snapped out of her own mind when her candle was more than halfway used. The sound of dripping wax is what grabbed her attention, and her panic ensued when she realized that it was dripping down on a book which had been sitting on the table collecting dust for almost a year. The wax had formed a nice puddle which hardened on the leather cover and hid most of the golden lettering which served as its title. Frantically, Iris transfered the candle onto its appropriate dish and lifted the book to clean it, hoping that the hot wax hadn't damaged it at all.

"Oh no. No, no, no," she mumbled, using her hoof to scrape away the wax. She froze when the title of the book was revealed.

 _The Witch of Sorrow's Fall -A Novel by Nightline Wordsmith._

It was Nightline's first story. Iris was there the day it formed in his mind. It was a painting from her own hoof which inspired it, and from that day she waited. It took a few months for Nightline to finish writing it, but for the size of it, he worked fast. Writing and words truly were his talent. Iris was also the first pony to hear him read it, and get to experience it through his magical voice. It was the most beautiful tale she had ever heard. Nightline published the story after moving to Canterlot, and personally delivered a copy to her as a gift. Of course, she wasn't there to receive it. Fluttershy had to be the one to give it to her; it seemed that was the case far too often. Nightline tried so hard to be with her, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was never around. She didn't try. She let him down long before he gave up.

Following that pattern, Iris hadn't even opened the book. Not to read it, or even see his signature inside. She was always too busy to take the time. With shaking arms and a quivering lip, the pink Pegasus did what she should have done the day she received the book: she opened it. The first page was the author's thanks; a note from Nightline which recognized the ponies who helped him as he wrote the book. In it, he thanked his family. His mother, father, and even Cherry Blossom who wasn't even around when he had written it. He thanked Rarity for supporting him even before he got his cutie mark. He thanked Princess Luna for being his closest friend, and for seeing the book complete. But one name never appeared; Iris' name was absent. Absent from the dedication, anyways. Those notes took up only half of the first page. On the second half, written in golden ink, was Nightline's signature along with another note. Tears began to fall as she read it.

 **Iris,**

 **you are my everything. I knew you were special, right from the very start. From the day we met on Sugarcube Corner to the time I am writing this to you, you have been my inspiration. My greatest joy, and the center of all of my hopes and my wishes for life. If I get the chance, you'll hear this from me before you receive this book, but just in case I don't, there's something you should know. Iris Pinkberry, I have fallen madly in love with you. I think of you night and day, and it is for you above all others that I have become the stallion I am today. You are my everything. My life, my love, and my inspiration. To you, I dedicate this story. To you, I give my heart.**

 **-Nightline Wordsmith.**

Tears following tears following even more tears fell from Iris' face. She had never known how much Nightline truly cared for her, and in truth, as she read his words, she knew she felt exactly the same towards him. It was strange; they had done so little to earn one another's love, but somehow he had stolen her heart just by being himself. Sniffing away a small amount of tears, Iris turned the page, leaving behind the dedications and placing her eyes upon the first words of a book she herself had never read. And reading it with her own mind was far different than listening to it and living it through Nightline's voice. Still, in reading the words she remembered well what everything looked like.

The two kingdoms, both standing strong and tall. One, with plentiful food, was decorated with vast farmlands filled with many different crops. Corn, fruit, wheat, and more. But they lacked everything else, which left them poor. And another, built around a vast castle, held glorious riches of gold and silver, for the caves around their land were filled with veins of precious metals and gemstones. But without a patch of fertile land to grow, food was scarce, and the ponies were left starving. Both kingdoms, so close to one another, but separated by a dense forest and blissfully unaware of the other's existence. Iris envisioned them well, down to every detail which Nightline implanted in her mind.

She read on, crying all the while. The story brought back memories of being in his company as he told it. She recalled how it felt to listen. To see though the eyes of the Princess as she fell in love with the Prince. To feel her heartache as the witch corrupted his heart and stole him away, and her conviction as she ran to his aid. To have tears forced from her eyes as she watched true love break the witch's spell, and listen as the prince spoke his vows of love to her on their wedding day.

" _And my dearest love," he said, "I shall never leave you alone." With a passionate kiss, the love sealed itself between them, and thus the kingdoms were united, to prosper together forevermore._

More tears fell from Iris' eyes as she closed the book and held it close, unwilling to put it down. That story was the only thing which Nightline had left for her, and now it had become her reality. Her prince had been stolen by a greedy witch bent on destroying the kingdom known as Equestria. It was at that thought that Iris' eyes shot open and glanced down and the leather cover with gold-embroidered letters. That story _had_ become her reality, exactly as she thought it had. And if that was true, then she also had a small dwindling hope that she could win Nightline back. After all, she had spoken the truth when she disputed Celestia over Vocality's banishment. He was still in their; she had seen it.

Staring at the book now with a look of determination, she set it down on the table and stood. "I won't give up, Nightline. I'll get you back; I promise."


	31. A Witch's Sorrow

**Hello again, everyone! I'm so sorry thischapter took so long, but if you swap over to reading it on Wattpad, you'll see why. I made SO MANY art pieces for this one chapter, because this chapter is it: the climax of the story. I spent more time on this one than any of the others, because it needed to be perfect. Every detail, every emotion. This is where the entire story has been leading to, and I couldn't be happier with the result. I hope you all enjoy this one; it isn't the last, but it sure as hell may be the best. Only two more to go. Leave me a review!**

Chapter 31

It had been multiple hours since their first attack on Ponyville, and still Nightmare Moon could not wipe away her childlike grin. The mare couldn't even force herself to sit in her own throne; instead, she stood and occasionally pranced about her castle's atrium, giggling with joy. And what else to give her such joy than the victory she had just won alongside her servant. Fraid Vocality was just as happy, but he stood smiling in the center of the room; after nearly two years trapped within the body of that weakling Wordsmith, he was finally able to show his true form and the power which it held. His power, coupled with that of his Empress, were more than enough not only to defeat Celestia, but to match and overcome the Elements of Harmony. That victory made the two feel lighter than the air around them.

"Oh, what fun," Nightmare Moon said. "Celestia was an easy victory even one thousand years ago, let alone now when peace has weakened her. It was those Elements which were my greatest adversary, but now I don't expect they'll

be any trouble at all!"

As she laughed maniacally, Vocality replied, "those elements are weak compared to us. Together, we are unstoppable and the only rightful rulers of this kingdom."

Hearing his statement only made Nightmare Moon happier. He had the same ambitions she did.

"Where would I be without you? Oh Vocality; together, we will do great things," she said, walking closer to her servant and staring into his black eyes.

"And my Mistress of the Night, if I am by your side, I will do whatever I have to to see your dreams realized. For you, I will face them all."

Nightmare Moon wasn't surprised in the least by his dedication to her; Princess Luna's feelings for Nightline and Nightline's feelings for Princess Luna translated almost seamlessly for each of them as their inner shadows took hold. Luna's love for her Wordsmith became Nightmare's for Vocality, and Vocality's growing love for her stemmed from Nightline's loyalty and friendship. Without a certain Pink Pegasus stealing his heart away, there was no question of it belonging to his lunar mistress. Still, their feelings being reciprocated brought joy to them both. Nightmare Moon, for the first time since her very first appearance in Equestria, could feel butterflies in her stomach as she moved closer to Vocality. Closer and ever closer, until their faces were mere centimeters apart. The unicorn had no such nerves; he knew how he felt and what he wanted, and hadn't a single inhibition. Moving forward, he closed the distance slowly. Both of their eyes softly shut.

"Help!" A mare's voice cut through the Everfree Forest.

Both sets of eyes shot open quickly, and to Nightmare Moon's dismay, Vocality pulled away to shift his gaze to the front door. The voice which cried out sounded familiar, but neither pony could place it exactly in it's panicked tone. The cry was followed swiftly by canine growls, giving a clue as to the reason for its panic. Obviously the Timber Wolves had intercepted whoever strayed too close to the castle and were working to chase them off. Nightmare Moon was more than frustrated with the interruption of her moment with Vocality. She had waited for days to reach it, and so she was not so willing to let the culprit slip away.

"Come; let's show this intruder the penalty for trespassing on their new queen's castle grounds."

Iris Pinkberry flew through the forest, closely pursued by seven of the wood-bred canines. Never having been the most athletic Pegasus, she breathed hard, but the sound of snapping jaws just barely missing her tail was plenty of motivation to push past her own fatigue. She swerved past as many trees as she could manage, hoping to be more agile than the pack hunters behind her, but in vein, for they were far more so than she. Once more, one of the Timber Wolves leaped up and snapped at her tail, this time managing to clip a few of the velvet hairs and pull them from her rear. The pain was brief and unsubstantial, but just enough to distract her for a moment. Iris yelped and looked back in fear as the wolf fell back to the ground before continuing its pursuit. All seven of them were gaining on her, and so once again she opted to pick up her pace. Turing her eyes back to the path in front of her, Iris realized quickly that doing so was no longer an option. A bundle of low-bearing branches had crept up in front while she was distracted, and had grown too close for her to avoid. Closing her eyes, the Pegasus crashed through, clipping and splintering her wings and soon after, crashing to the ground. Iris came to a full stop at the center of a clearing which had evidently been just beyond the branches which grounded her. There was mostly just grass in the clearing, along with a small patch which was tinted with a deep crimson red.

The Pegasus was given no time at all to observe, for the violent pack of spruce hounds soon broke the tree line. She had no time to react before one was upon her, causing her to cry out in fear before bucking it away. She got to her hooves as quickly as she could before attempting to take off with a leap, but fell back to the ground with pain in her wings. As she continued to run, however slowly, she glanced back to see that her wings were mangled by the trees she had crashed through; unusable. Without flight, it was a matter of moments before the nearest wolf lunged at her back legs, taking away her footing and causing her to tumble to the ground once more. Iris came to a painful stop at the base of a tree trunk, slamming her already damaged wings against its unyielding side. The impact was enough to daze her, but not for long. The growling of the Timber Wolves brought her back to reality quite fast. Fast enough to see each of them circle around and advance on her at an agonizingly slow pace. She looked around for any escape, but the pack hunters had solid instincts; they had left no openings. As the circle closed in, one of the Wolves moved in front of the others, positioning itself to go for the kill.

Desperately, Iris began calling out. "Help!" She cried, over and over as the monster grew closer. "Somepony, please! Nightline!"

No answer was heard. Instead, the wolf grew closer. Mere inches from striking distance, Iris began to wonder if her faith in Nightline's fable wasn't misplaced; if he really was gone, and not there to save her. That thought was all but true to her when a growling monster signaled her final moments. Clenching her eyes, she began to cry and quietly plead for her life. Three seconds later, the only thing she could feel was her own heartbeat. The taste of her own mouth vanished, as did her registry of the pain in her wings. Her closed eyes showed only darkness. The only sense she had which gave her anything substantial was her hearing. Her ears heard growling, and then the growling stopped abruptly with another sound. The sound of shattering wood, and then...nothing. After two more seconds, the sound of quick wooden paws moving away, fleeing from where they had cornered her. Along with those quick paws came a familiar pain in her wings. The subtle taste of pancakes from earlier that night returned to her mouth, and slowly, her eyelids pulled back to reveal the dark forest around her. Standing before her was a dark stallion with a proud pointed horn atop his head. His black eyes scowled at the pink Pegasus, and beneath his hoof was the shattered body of a Timber Wolf.

Smiling joyfully, Iris stood. "Nightline!" She said, stepping forth in hopes of giving him a hug. Though the body wasn't his, surely it was Nightline's will and not Fraid Vocality's which had saved her. But the stallion stepped away.

"Foolish child," a malicious mare's voice said as she materialized beside him. "The Wordsmith isn't there anymore," she added, igniting her horn threateningly.

Ignoring her statement, Iris replied, "Nightline won't let you hurt me."

"Fraid Vocality wouldn't stop me."

Without hesitating, Nightmare Moon engulfed Iris in her magic and pinned her against the nearest tree, holding her high off the ground. The pin was forceful and painful for the Pegasus. She grunted, but also glared fiercely at the Alicorn responsible.

"You won't win," she said, struggling to move even a single limb.

"I disagree," Nightmare replied, increasing the pressure of her magical grip and scraping her up the tree a few more inches.

Iris cried out in pain until the movement stopped. When she was held still once more, she shifted her gaze to Fraid Vocality. "Nightline, if there was ever a time to come out, it would be now."

The stallion chuckled, saying in his deep voice, "you don't give up, do you? Just finish her."

"No!" Iris screamed forcefully. "I won't give up. I will never quit; not until you're home. Not until we can bury your father together and kiss Cherry Blossom goodnight! I won't stop trying to get you back!"

Nightmare Moon scowled; the Pink Pegasus' insistence was, if nothing else, aggravating. The Alicorn Empress could have killed her then with no regrets, but the situation also gave another option. She was almost completely certain that Fraid Vocality was hers; any pony would be hard pressed to convince her otherwise. But if she were to allow Iris the chance to try her hoof at winning the Wordsmith back, her failure would bolster Nightmare's belief. As much as she wanted to kill the Pegasus, the chance to set that belief in stone was too tempting to pass up. Grinning evilly, Nightmare Moon released her magical grip on the Pegasus, allowing her to fall to the ground below.

"I've just had a wonderful idea. Vocality, call the Wolves."

Obediently, the unicorn ignited his horn and let its magic flow downward into his chest. Soon after, a deep rumble resonated from his throat, followed by a series of clicking noises. Each sound he made was amplified and carried across the forest, and was soon joined by nearby growling. The Timber Wolves had gathered quickly, and were emerging from the trees to surround the three ponies.

"I'll give you a few moments to win back your precious Wordsmith. I recommend you work fast; the Wolves won't wait for long."

Iris could feel her mouth run dry, yet still she gulped as her eyes scanned the surrounding animals which slowly closed in on them. Knowing that her time truly was short, she wasted none of it.

"Come on, Nightline. It's time to go home. We all need you," she pleaded, smiling nervously as she glanced around.

Vocality couldn't help but scoff at her statement. "Strange; you wouldn't think one would abandon and send away Somepony they 'need,' would they?"

His words rang clear in Iris' ears; obviously they were spoken from a point of strong emotions.

"I was angry and scared! I couldn't be more sorry for what I said to you. Just come back with me! We can work this out, we can be happy again-"

"With you?" Vocality shouted. "Why would I go back with you when the only mare worthy of my affections is here, willing to stay with me and care for me as I care for her? We are happy here; happier than that weakling Wordsmith ever was."

"I loved you!" Iris exclaimed.

"You betrayed me!" Vocality turned away.

The Wolves had just begun to pass Nightmare Moon, closing in on the remaining two ponies as they talked.

"You used him to feel happy. You basked in his love while he was too young and naive to realize what was happening. You broke his heart once, twice, then three times more and kept coming back expecting him to make you happy. You are unworthy of our love."

The Wolves reached Vocality, and were a matter of feet away from Iris. The Pegasus couldn't believe what she was hearing; not only were his words striking her emotionally, but they were true. True and spoken from Vocality's heart, as if Nightline's emotions and his were one in the same. The closer the Wolves drew, the more hope she lost.

"You're right," she said softly after a drawn out pause. Her words surprised the dark stallion, enough to make him turn to look at her again. "I was so lost in this world; so alone. But Nightline changed that. He made me happy in ways nopony ever had. All I wanted was to be happy with him; to keep feeling the way he made me feel. I wanted him in my life for my own benefit, and never once thought about making him feel the same way."

The Wolves passed Vocality; there was nothing between them and Iris, and she knew that. Still, she kept talking and the unicorn faced her completely to listen, no longer scowling.

"I hurt you, Nightline. I didn't realize until you were gone how much I hated that I hurt you. And not just you; what I did is hurting everyone that loves you. Your mom, all of your friends...Cherry Blossom. I know now that all I want is to make you as happy a you made me. To make everyone you care about happy. I want you back, Nightline."

The wolves continued to advance, less than a yard away from the trembling Pegasus.

"I know it's too late, Nightline. I hurt you, and I can never take that back. I'm not worthy of your love; I don't deserve to have you. I just want you to know how sorry I am."

Closing her eyes, Iris began to cry softly. At any moment, it would all end for her. She had accepted that, and was ready. Fraid Vocality, however, had different thoughts. Staring intently at the broken and crying mare before him, he began to walk forwards. Before the Wolves could attack, he broke past their line. Seeing him move forward was a clear signal for them to stop their advance for fear of severe consequences. Vocality stopped mere inches away from the Pegasus, his eyes glued to her genuine heartbroken expression.

"Everything she said was true," he thought. "She meant every word. Every inflection was driven by her heart. And the tears which fell from her eyes were driven by sadness, not fear. She had come into the forest to win back her wordsmith, but was more content to die than to go back and live on without him. Could she truly love him as she said she did? Could she love him and he loved her?"

Nightmare Moon had been watching with a smug look on her face. She was amused with every failed attempt to strike Vocality's heart. But as he turned and advanced on Iris with a look not of anger but of caring consideration, her smug look faded. Though her expression turned blank, her mind raced and her heart felt heavy. It seemed that, before her very eyes, she was losing the only stallion who had ever loved her.

Vocality raised his hoof and placed it gently upon Iris's cheek, coaxing her to look at him. Opening her eyes, she did just that, staring hopefully into his. For a few moments, they held that position. To Nightmare Moon, those moments felt like an eternity each, until finally, something new happened: Fraid Vocality's eyes flashed silver.

Taking in a soft gasp, Iris grew hopeful. She whispered, "Nightline?"

"What do you want?"

She paused for a moment. Swallowing what little was in her mouth, she replied, "I just want you to be happy."

As she spoke those words, a new phenomenon began. All around the two, magic filled the air. Little flecks of silver began to appear, floating around like dust. Soon, the silver flecks began to glow and swirl, creating a sphere with them at its center; a sphere which grew thicker and thicker. Nightmare Moon stared with wide eyes at her servant within, at least until the glowing silver lights engulfed him completely. The magic surrounding them was strong enough to be sending off small amounts of wind. Even when she couldn't see Vocality any longer, she continued to watch the dome of silver light. She watched until the swirling dome finally burst, sending the magical flecks flying out in every direction before they began to slowly fall like snow. Where the dome once was, Iris Pinkberry and a white stallion in a grey sweater now stood.

The look on Iris' face couldn't have been more joyful. New tears began to stream as she looked into the eyes of Nightline Wordsmith, who stared back into hers with a clear message: "I will never leave you again." Though it was difficult for either of them to stop their wide smiles, they both managed in order to share a tender kiss. That kiss ended quickly, instead turning into a strong embrace which neither wanted to end. Iris couldn't stop the tears from flowing out of her eyes, whereas Nightline couldn't stop showing his affection towards her. For the first time since they had met, Iris had proven without any doubt that she loved him the same way he loved her. Both ponies seemed to have forgotten in the moment that there was a third watching them. Nightmare Moon looked on, her face blank but her heart shattered. Her pride was working in overdrive to prevent any sign of weakness from showing through, but her greed and her broken ego were both fighting to make her find a way to keep her Fraid Vocality. After only a few moments, Nightline glanced over to see Nightmare Moon, still holding her blank expression. He scowled before turning back to Iris.

"Let's go home," he said, before turning and leading her back towards Ponyville. While he was constantly looking about for any threats, Iris was in a state of pure bliss.

With them leaving, Nightmare Moon also turned. She was conflicted, at a loss for what to do. She had just lost one of the most important battles of her infinite life. She hesitated, however, and glanced back at Nightline and Iris as they walked away. For how could she give up so easily on what her heart wanted most? Grimacing, she turned to face them again.

"No!" She shouted, before teleporting in front of them. Nightline quickly took a firm stance in front of Iris to protect her. "You were mine! Nobody but me deserves your affections! Nobody!"

"You don't deserve anyone's love," Nightline replied coldly.

Even Iris felt the ice in his words, and Nightmare Moon was taken aback. "No. No, I won't let you leave me!"

Though it looked rather silly, Nightline reared onto his back legs and got into the Alicorn empress's face. "Try to stop me," he challenged. "You claim that only you deserve my affections, my love, when you don't even know what love is; what it feels like! And you never will."

Nightmare Moon was left speechless as the unicorn rejoined his lover. Iris was also surprised at the cruelty of Nightline's word's, but she hardly felt sorry for the witch. She was far too happy with her Wordsmith once again to care. Together, the two trotted past her. Nightmare Moon watched as they walked away, her spirit broken and her pride in shambles. Like rain, tears began to fall from her eyes, and almost inaudible sobs escaped her mouth. She had lost, and now there wasn't a pony in Equestria who would make any conquest worth the trouble. She was alone once again.


	32. The Return: Reprise

Chapter 32

"We have to make a move, and soon," Celestia said as she paced the streets of Ponyville.

It had been a good many hours since Nightmare Moon's victory alongside Fraid Vocality and at least two since Iris had left the scene, yet the 11 ponies left standing on the road hardly uttered a single word. Celestia's four guards stood as stoic as ever, while Twilight and her five friends remained speechless. Celestia was the only source of noise as she paced back and forth, her eyes filled with crazed desperation; a look which gave the six nearby mares feelings of great unease. She was clawing at her own mind, desperate for a plan or even an idea. Yet even after hours of her process, those eight words were all she could manage.

"What do you suggest?" Twilight asked, hopeful that her teacher would have something plentiful to offer.

"Nightmare Moon will be planning her next move as we speak, and with an ally like Fraid Vocality, we can't allow her to make it before we make ours. Now that we know the source of the illusions which drove you away from the castle, we can combat them and push through. We should mount a direct attack and overwhelm them. With swift and decisive action, they will be banished and the moon will be lowered."

There were a few moments of silence after Celestia finished the layout of her idea. All six ponies eyeballed her quizzically.

"What?" She asked.

"You mean Nightmare Moon will be banished. Fraid Vocality will be captured, just as you said he would," Rarity replied hopefully.

With a sigh, the Princess looked away. "No."

Four of the six jaws belonging to the ponies dropped.

Rainbow Dash was shocked. "But you said-"

"I said what I needed to to keep my people calm in these hard times, but the magic wielded by those two ponies is far too dangerous to be left unchecked for even a single moment more than is needed."

"So you were never going to give Nightline the chance to come back? You lied to his family!" the multicolored Pegasus shouted.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight scolded in a whisper-tone, hoping to prevent any of her friends from disrespecting the Princess.

"I did what I had to do. _If_ Fraid Vocality surrenders and reverts back to the unicorn we know, he will be spared. But we will not hesitate for an instant to protect Equestria."

With that said, Celestia began to walk away. There was no more for her to say, and nothing more she wanted to hear.

"Now wait just an apple-pickin' minute, Princess-" Applejack began, but was cut off by Twilight.

"Applejack, please. Just do as Celestia says."

"But Nightline is our friend," Pinkie argued.

"Celestia is our Princess. She knows what's best for Equestria," the purple unicorn replied.

Rarity was the next to step forward and begin saying her piece. "Darling, we respect and love Celestia nearly as much as you do, but you can't possibly believe we should abandon-"

"Girls, look!" Rainbow Dash's voice shouted.

All eyes turned first to where she was hovering above them, and then followed her pointing hoof towards the edge of Ponyville. There, emerging from the darkness, were two ponies. One was a Pegasus pony with a pink coat and a paint pallet on her flank. The other was a white unicorn adorned in a grey cardigan sweater. They walked so closely together that it almost looked difficult to walk at all, but both looked blissful all the same.

"Nightline!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Fluttershy was the first to begin running to meet the two ponies, however her five friends soon followed and overtook her. The pale Pegasus was tripped up and fell as they all passed, but her eccentric pink friend was quick to return and drag her towards the entrance of Ponyville. Upon hearing the name of the royal ambassador shouted, Princess Celestia turned and followed with her eyes the six ponies galloping away. She was relieved to see Nightline entering Ponyville safely, but made no moves to intercept him. Instead, she waited where she was, both patient and eager to discover what had become of Nightmare Moon. Inversely, Cherry Blossom and Aria Stargazer were both roused from their sleep when they heard the exclamation of the Wordsmith's name. In disbelief, they simultaneously opened the nearest windows to them which faced the street.

"Nightline, thank heavens you're alright!" Rarity said as she reached him.

The stallion's mother and daughter both joyously rushed out of their home and onto the streets. Aria was quick to overtake Cherry Blossom; her filly-sized legs couldn't carry her nearly as fast as the grown mare. But desperate to reach the embrace of her father, she began flapping her wings and took flight, increasing her speed exponentially.

"Daddy!" She called out, passing her grandmother by.

Nightline heard her voice and instantly pushed his way past the seven surrounding mares to locate its source. It took him only a single second to find it, and immediately after, the unicorn broke into a sprint to meet her halfway. Cherry Blossom dove out of the sky straight towards him without a doubt in her mind that he would catch her. Tears began to fall from her eyes as soon as they touched and turned to rivers of joy when Nightline's strong foreleg wrapped her in a hug just as he had before Equestria went dark. Holding his daughter close, Nightline knelt down to the ground. He said nothing, nor did Cherry Blossom. They simply sat with one another, making up for the many days spent apart. Only a few moments later, Aria Stargazer came to a sliding stop beside her foal.

"Nightline! Oh, my baby," she said, planting desperate kisses on his cheek. "Are you alright? What happened out there?"

"I'm not...dad died, I went back out. Then Nightmare Moon, she-" Nightline sputtered out, but was cut off by the voice of an Alicorn Princess.

Princess Celestia had grown impatient and approached with a crease in her brow. "What happened?" She asked, her voice cold and aggressive.

It was clear to Nightline that Celestia was quite displeased. Part of him understood why, but the rest of him glanced up at her with concern. It was quite uncharacteristic of her to be so cold to her subjects, let alone to a pony whom she considered to be a personal friend. Her behavior was brushed aside, however, given that the times were as difficult as they could be.

"After my father died, I went back out to save Luna-"

"Nightline, I ordered you to take no action!" Celestia scolded. Her tone was nothing short of cruel; a detail which the pony being scolded barely noticed. Two other ponies, however, took special note of her behavior: Applejack and Twilight Sparkle. Both of them recognized how out of sorts the Princess was as she scolded Nightline. "Princess Luna is gone!"

"I know."

The unicorn's response caught everyone's attention and struck Celestia silent.

"What?" Cherry Blossom asked.

"I went out to save Luna, but Nightmare Moon has taken her completely. There isn't an ounce of kindness or mercy in her heart, and I was a fool to think I could bring her back."

Celestia eyeballed him quizzically. "So you were."

"Princess, do what you have to do."

"But dad!"

After a few moments, Celestia turned to her student. "Twilight, you and the other wielders of the Elements will bring them to Canterlot where we will plan our attack. Nightline Wordsmith will stay here until we're done."

The Alicorn didn't wait for a reply before she turned and made way for her chariot. Though the six ponies meant to follow were hesitant and shared an uneasy glance, they were soon on their way to retrieve the Elements of Harmony. Sighing, Nightline stood and began leading his family back into their house.

Cherry Blossom looked up at her father with sad eyes and asked softly, "what about Luna?"

Nightline sighed, and answered her without making eye contact. "Princess Luna isn't there anymore. There's nothing I can do for her."

While his mother was completely satisfied with that answer, Iris was still off put by his attitude towards what used to be his closest friend. Cherry Blossom could hardly believe it was even Nightline answering her; she knew that her father would never say such things.

"You can't mean that!"

"I do, Cherry Blossom. Nightmare Moon wouldn't hesitate to do to us what she did to my father, and Luna wouldn't do a thing to stop her."

"Princess Luna would give her own life to protect us!" Cherry shouted, stepping in front of Nightline to stop his march. "Why wouldn't we do the same for her?"

"Luna gave in; she abandoned us because of her own mistakes!" Nightline raised his voice, now even grabbing Aria's attention. "You'll understand when you're older."

"No, I understand now. You've given up on her!" She shouted.

"Alright fine, you understand now," he replied.

"So what, after everything she's done for us, we abandon her?"

"Cherry Blossom-"

"What kind of friend are you?"

"That's enough-"

"Luna wouldn't give up on you!"

Finally, Nightline's temper grew too hot. Igniting his horn, he bellowed for all of Ponyville to hear, "Luna is gone!" The force of his words kicked up small amounts of dust from the ground. After ending the spell, the unicorn flared down at his daughter. "And she isn't coming back."

"Nightline!" Iris exclaimed in a whisper tone, shocked at how he was speaking to Cherry Blossom.

It was too late, however; the damage had been done. With tears streaming down her cheeks, the filly turned and sprinted off towards the house. None of the three adult ponies moved to follow. Instead, they watched as she entered the building and slammed the door behind. Unbenounced to them, only a few moments later that same little Pegasus flew out one of the back windows and fled the scene with only one goal and location on her mind. After a few moments of just standing in the street, Iris broke the silence.

"Aria, could you give me a minute alone with Nightline?" She said, never taking her eyes off of the mentioned unicorn.

With an almost fearful nod, the pink unicorn turned and trotted off towards the house. Nightline could feel Iris's glare like fire, but he made no eye contact. He waited in silence for her to begin yelling; for them to fight again. But instead, no sounds came. After a few moments, she sighed.

"Alright, go."

The stallion looked up in surprise. "What?"

"Go," she repeated.

"Go where?"

"What do you mean, 'go where?' Go get Luna."

It was Nightline's turn to sigh this time. "Iris, Luna is gone. You told me that before, and I didn't believe you. But after what she did, what she made me do; I know for a fact that nothing I do could ever bring her back. I was wrong."

"No," she insisted. "I was wrong."

Nightline was obviously confused, eyeballing her quizzically.

"Nightline, you saw how she acted. If Luna wasn't there, why would Nightmare Moon have been crying? Why did it hurt so badly to lose you?"

"It wasn't me, it was Vocality she wanted," he explained aggressively.

"No, she begged for you! She cried for you, pleaded, groveled, and not once did she say his name. Fraid Vocality was the shackle she used to ensure that you could never leave. But Luna's feelings for you were the reason she ever felt the need to shackle you in the first place."

Nightline had no rebuttal for her argument. He thought hard about the way Nightmare Moon had acted as he left, and only found that everything Iris said was true.

"It's the same reason why I came back for you. If Fraid Vocality had left nothing of you, then he would never have saved those children from the Avalanche in Canterlot. He would've never protected Luna from the Changelings. He would never have been so gentle with Percy, and he would never have protected me in the forest. He wouldn't have loved me enough to give you back."

At those words, it seemed that Iris had the Wordsmith all but convinced. He looked at her with sincere but unsure eyes, believing yet afraid to believe. He didn't want to go out on false hope again, after all that he had lost already. Lowering his gaze, he took a few steps away.

"Luna is still in there. She needs you, and you still need her. You, Princess Celestia, and-"

"Cherry Blossom is gone!" Aria's voice exclaimed from their front door as she ran from the house towards them.

"What?" Nightline exclaimed, rushing to meet her halfway.

"I went up to the guest room to check on her, to make sure she was ok, but she was gone! Her window was open, she wasn't anywhere in the house...I think she ran away!"

"That doesn't make any sense, where would she-" but Iris stopped mid-sentence and exchanged a glance with Nightline. Both of them had a simultaneous thought as the cries of a heartbroken Alicorn echoed across the land. All three ponies turned to face the direction which the cries originated from: the Everfree Forest.

Cherry Blossom wandered through the Everfree Forest alone, afraid but determined to save her friend. The Forest was quiet; there were no rustling trees, nor any birds or bugs chirping in the night. In the silence, she walked aimlessly. She hadn't a clue where she was going, but she knew she had to keep moving. Cherry was almost certain she'd be lost in the forest forever until the sobbing of a familiar voice filled her ears. It was loud and filled with the sorrow of loss, but more than that, it came from a clear direction. The little filly's ears perked up as she gained a small amount of hope. Changing course, she began sprinting in the direction of the sobbing voice which so clearly belonged to Nightmare Moon.

The fear which originally slowed her gradually faded. She saw no terrifying creatures, aberrations, or even a single Timber Wolf. There was nothing besetting the forest but sadness and tears. The ambient sorrow instead was what slowed her galloping legs. Still, it wasn't but an hour from when she departed that she came upon a clearing in the forest. The clearing itself felt strange; dark, in a way. Darker than the Everfree Forest usually was. She stopped to look around, finding that the crimson moon shined paler on the grass of this one small place inside of Everfree. The short grass was split down the middle by a stone-marked path, one direction appearing to lead back the way she came and the other leading towards the epicenter of Luna's cries.

As Cherry Blossom scanned the various aspects of the clearing, she began to notice other details. Small things which looked unusual, even for the forest she was in. First, a patch of grass a few feet to her right which was unnaturally darker than the rest of the clearing. It was almost like a layer of dark paint, shining in the moonlight. Off to one side of the patch, it looked as if the paint-like substance had been smeared towards the edge of the clearing. It was strange to see, but another detail brought the filly's attention elsewhere, to the other side of the clearing. A tree seemed to have had one side of its trunk stripped of bark. The pale fresh wood underneath stood out against the dark skin which covered the remainder, untouched. Cherry Blossom walked closer to the tree to inspect it, and found that at its base, a pile of splintered wood lay scattered. At first, she thought it to just be branches and twigs, but soon discovered that the sticks were in more of an organic shape. Some pieces looked like canine limbs, others like pieces of a tail. And when she found a chunk of wood which resembled the head, she knew that it had to be the remains of a Timberwolf.

"What happened here?" She wondered, looking up at the tree again. Upon closer inspection, Cherry Blossom noticed a single pink feather imbedded between the bark and wood on the left side of the bare patch.

The young Pegasus was torn away from her curious investigation by another fierce and sorrowful wail from the gullet of Princess Luna. Hearing the voice of her friend reminded her of the reason she had ventured into the forest in the first place and renewed her purpose. Sighing, Cherry Blossom located the stone path and began following it towards the cries. Her hooves carried her out of the clearing and back into the forest while her ears led her on, searching for her dear friend. It only took a few more minutes of walking before the forest ended, breaking into a huge clearing where a stone bridge paved a clear path towards a large decaying castle. Just as her eyes fell upon the enormous structure, another cry filled her ears. It was clear that Princess Luna was inside, hiding away and nursing her broken spirit. Smiling, Cherry lifted her leg in preparation to move forwards; at that moment, a powerful hoof struck the dirt in front of her. The filly screamed and fell back into the underbrush.

…

Nightline ran tirelessly through the Everfree Forest, hoping and wishing all the while that his daughter was safe and that not a single creature of that place had made her its next victim. He hadn't a clue what path or direction she had taken, and the only lead he had was the intense crying in the air. He could only hope that she had followed it as he was, straight to Nightmare Moon's castle. The cries he followed took him on the same path he had followed each time he ventured in in search of that dark Alicorn; first through the dense overgrowth, then an obscure game trail. That game trail led him to a footpath, and that foot path gradually shrank until suddenly, it broke into a familiar clearing. That clearing haunted him; it was a home for very traumatic events in recent days. His father had been killed right before his eyes, and Iris nearly met the same fate against a tree on the other side. The stallion decided not to spend too much time reminiscing, and instead made his way to the exit of the clearing closest to the castle, a few feet to the left of the stone path. It took only a few minutes for him to break through the last of the underbrush, planting his hoof down firmly in front of him. As soon as that hoof struck the dirt, the scream of a familiar filly sounded followed by the rustling of leaves and bushes beyond the tree line.

"Cherry Blossom?" Nightline asked, fully emerging from the forest and turning to face the place where the screamer had vanished into.

A moment later, the filly popped her head out from the underbrush. "Dad?"

The unicorn sighed with relief before quickly kneeling down and pulling the young filly into a hug. "Thank Celestia you're alright!" He exclaimed.

"I'm fine," she replied, returning the hug for only a moment before pulling away. "I came to save Luna."

"You shouldn't have, Cherry. It's too dangerous; she's-"

"Please don't say it, Dad," Cherry Blossom interrupted. "I don't believe it, and neither do you."

Nightline remained silent. There was nothing he could say to convince his daughter to end her pursuit of Princess Luna, nor was there a way for him to say she was wrong. She was looking at him with the sweetest, most sincere, tender eyes he'd ever seen. She believed what she was saying, and she was saying it out of love for Luna and love for her father. The proud stallion sighed and squatted low to the ground so that he could be at eye level with her.

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

His words caused Cherry Blossom's eyes to go wide. She was surprised by what he was saying, and was at first doubtful that he was speaking true to his heart.

"I love Princess Luna, more than you know. She is my best friend in this whole beautiful world, and I would do almost anything to see her home safely. To sing her to sleep again, and to comfort her when she feels unloved. I would give my life if it meant she could live as happily as Celestia does."

"Then why won't you save her?" The filly asked, tears welling in her eyes.

After a short pause, he replied. "Because I won't give yours."

Cherry was silent. She hadn't the words to express her surprise, nor the words to voice her confusion.

"Your grandfather died helping me try to save Princess Luna, and it got me no closer than if he hadn't helped me at all. I love Princess Luna, but I love you more. I won't risk your life, your grandma's, Iris's, or any pony else's. I can't lose you, Cherry Blossom."

With those words, the little red Pegasus finally understood. She understood what held her father back, and why he had done everything he had done. She had no doubt in her mind now that he was speaking the truth of what he felt. The tears that had welled up in her eyes fell; two shining little tears which dropped from her cheeks and down to the grass of the Everfree Forest. When they splashed down, the two ponies leaned forward and embraced one another in what amounted to the most loving hug they had ever shared.

"You won't lose me," Cherry Blossom said into his chest after a few moments, before pulling away and looking him dead in the eyes. "But she needs us."

Nightline couldn't help but smile. He could tell that her stubborn drive would only get harder to deal with. And looking in her eyes, he saw a passionate fire which burned as brightly as a star.

"Come on," he finally said, standing. "Let's go get Luna."

Cherry Blossom's joy at her father's words was unmistakable. Bound and determined, the two ponies stood and turned to face the castle before them. All that stood between them and Luna was a single stone walkway. Beyond it, the depressed howls of a heartbroken mare sounded and echoed across the forest. Inside the castle, Nightmare Moon lay sobbing before her throne. She refused to take her place in it, feeling that there was no point in making herself out to be a ruler when she loathed herself so. She hated the weakness she had found within her; a weakness she thought belonged to Luna alone. The need to be loved, not just to be an empress. For the eternity she had lived, Luna always desired the love of her subjects. But Nightmare Moon only ever desired their obedience, until Luna fell for Nightline. Her love for the unicorn was an emotion Luna hadn't ever felt in such strength, and so it translated seamlessly into Nightmare Moon. Luna's weakness was now hers as well. Her will to rule was broken when she was shown the joys of love and the pain of heartbreak. And so she sat not on her throne, but wept on the ground before it in her sorrow.

Her cries, which had been echoing through the forest for hours, became nothing but quiet sniffling when she heard multiple sets of hoofs enter the chamber. Believing it to be her sister and the wielders of the elements, she spoke without ever turning to them. "Go on, then. I won't fight it." But there was no response. Sniffing away a few tears, she turned to see why her adversaries were so quiet. She was surprised to say the least to see Nightline Wordsmith standing at the entrance, and alongside him, his daughter Cherry Blossom. Lowering her eyes, she spoke again. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to bring you home," the little Pegasus replied, not an ounce of fear in her.

"I have no home but the moon. I belong nowhere else. Leave me."

"You belong in Canterlot, with us. Come back with me, Luna," Nightline pleaded, stepping further into the room from the entrance.

"So what, you can hurt her again? No!" She shouted, both sorrow and anger evident in her voice. "We don't belong to anyone!"

Nightline sighed. Through her words, he could hear that both Luna and Nightmare Moon were hurt. Their hearts were broken, each by the same stallion. Nightline himself was responsible for their pain. Breathing deeply, he left Cherry Blossom where she stood and approached the Empress of the Night. Seeing him close in on her, Nightmare Moon stood and spread out her wings threateningly.

"Stay back!" She ordered, igniting her horn with a powerful and destructive spell. Nightline didn't falter even the slightest.

Baring her teeth, she shot a single blast of her magic at his feet, striking the ground before him and kicking up a fair amount of dust. Though this delayed him for a moment, he continued his silent advance all the same.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" Nightmare Moon exclaimed, before sending out a volley of blasts identical to the first.

Each and every one of them impacted the ground around the Wordsmith, but none ever game close to hurting him. Tears were streaming from Nightmare Moon's eyes as she cast her attack; her heart wasn't allowing her to harm Nightline, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she wanted to. The young unicorn could tell this was the case; even surrounded by the blasts of her magic, he felt no fear. No harm would come to him. The volley of attacks from Nightmare Moon stopped when Nightline reached within a few feet of her. With a look of fear in her eyes, she began to step backwards only to lose her footing on the stone stairs. On the ground, she was no longer able to move away and could only look on in dread for whatever was coming. Her eyes were wide and still streamed with tears when the stallion loomed over her, surely ready to strike down the mare who had stolen Luna and caused so much grief.

"Please," she whispered, pleading silently. "Don't."

Nightline then knelt down so that he could be at eye level with Nightmare Moon, and smiled warmly. His eyes were soft and compassionate. With one leg, he reached out and pulled her towards him, embracing her in a hug. The Alicorn was shocked by the move he made; she had expected him to make her suffer, but instead he was comforting her. After a few moments, he pulled away and again looked into her eyes.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I'm sorry," he replied, surprising her yet again. "I had no idea how you felt about us. For years I've been calling you a witch, a tyrant, but I never understood you. I never knew how much you longed for love, and when it came down to it, I let you down. Everything that has happened over the last few days has been my fault, and I am so sorry."

Nightmare Moon couldn't believe what she was hearing. After everything she had done, Nightline was still there. In fact, she refused to believe it was possible.

"No, you can't forgive me after what I've done to you. I killed your-"

"My father wouldn't want me to give up on you, and I won't let his death be in vain. I can't leave you behind. Now listen to me when I say that you and I can never be together; not the way you wanted us to be."

The Alicorn lowered her gaze, disheartened by what Nightline had said. He took hold of her chin, though, and made her look at him once again.

"But I will always be your friend. I won't abandon you, and I'll love you as I always have until the day I die. You are my princess, as you always will be."

Peace and forgiveness; those are the emotions brought to Nightmare Moon's heart when Nightline finished speaking. New tears welled up in her eyes, and for the first time since she had come into this world, the dark empress felt hope for her future. Crying in joy, she fell forward into Nightline's embrace. He caught her without hesitation and held her there while she sobbed, gently stroking her mane.

"Shh, I'm here. It's alright," he said, before he began to sing softly. "Now lay, now lay yourself down this night, and know you're never alone. Though life may show you an endless plight, be stilled by my each silky tone. Be raised by my voice, be calmed by my words. Be lulled by my sweet lullaby. And if you should be on your own tonight, I'll make your company mine. Now lay, now lay yourself down this night, and know you're never alone. Though life may show you an endless plight, be stilled by my each silky tone…"

By the time Nightline had finished his lullaby for the Princess, her cries had stopped. It seemed she was finally content, and when he looked down to see her condition, he found that Nightmare Moon was gone. In her place, Princess Luna had finally returned to them, and she looked up at Nightline with joy in her eyes and the crimson moon over their heads turned white once again. The same joy filled the stallion's entire expression shortly before he tightened his embrace of the Lunar Princess. Cherry Blossom was soon to come crashing into them, wanting her turn with Luna's affections. The two grown ponies split apart just in time to catch her between them before closing in on one another again.

"Thank you, Nightline," said Luna as she relished in the love of the two ponies.

"Don't thank me; Cherry Blossom did all the heavy lifting. If I hadn't come after her, she would've come here all on her own."

"Well, I'm grateful, little one," she replied, ruffling the little filly's mane.

Cherry Blossom giggled, doing her best not to look terrible afterwards. "It was nothing. I wanted you back," she said.

"I am, now. But this isn't over. We still have to face my sister."


	33. Way of the Wordsmith

Chapter 33

Princess Celestia. Benevolent, beautiful, kind, and wise. And she was all that remained for Nightline Wordsmith and Princess Luna to face. The two walked close to one another as well as Cherry Blossom as they traversed the Everfree Forest, making their way back towards Ponyville. The walk was silent, but all three ponies knew the trial ahead. Celestia was prepared to banish Nightmare Moon, no matter the chances of Luna's return. She had grown desperate, obsessed with that goal. Whether Luna had conquered her darker half or not, it was certain that eternal banishment would still be on Celestia's mind. Cherry Blossom was the first to break the tree line, more chipper than her father or friend. When Ponyville was in sight, she took off from them and flew straight to her grandmother's house. Luna stayed by Nightline's side, keeping their slow pace.

"I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble," Luna said, grabbing Nightline's attention. "You are truly the greatest friend any Princess could wish for, and I am happy for the time we spent together."

"So am I. You're my best friend, Luna. And I don't ever want that to change."

The princess sighed. "Nightline, Celestia will not be merciful. Not this time. Not after I chose to go against her before Nightmare Moon was ever in play. I won't fight her or resist; I can't. I won't do that to her again."

"I know," he replied, looking down sadly at the ground. His mind raced looking for a way to stop what was coming.

As the two passed into Ponyville, they were met by Aria, Iris, and Cherry Blossom now carting her favorite feline. Aria was the first to rush forth and embrace her son. Iris was patient, and looked like she hadn't spent a single moment worrying. In fact, the smile on her face showed not only joy, but a hidden message saying that she never doubted her lover was safe. After the mother and son exchanged a few quiet words, Nightline separated himself from the four ponies and moved towards the house.

"Luna, wait for me here. When I return, we'll leave for Canterlot."

"Where are you going?" Iris asked.

"To say goodbye."

Without another word, the unicorn left his friends and family confused on the street. With purpose, he walked over to his old home and entered. Beyond the front door, he found himself in the entryway. The wooden floors were solid, built by his father to support and protect his family. Through a passage to his left, the kitchen waited to be used, possessing everything a family needs to nourish a growing foal. To his right was the old study; a small, cramped room used by both Aria and Erit to do their work. It was stripped clean of all of Aria's things, which had been moved to Nightline's old bedroom where her new office was being designed. Further down the main hallway, a set of stairs led Nightline up to where the bedrooms were. The first to be seen was the master bedroom, where his mother and father slept as one of the most loving couples in Equestria. Beyond that room was Aria's new office, freshly painted and covered with unbuilt furniture. The final room on the second floor was the guest room, which Nightline approached solemnly. He opened the door slowly, and the well-kept hinges didn't make a sound. Inside, Erit Gumption lay wrapped in the finest white cotton that could be found. His form looked as strong as it ever had, even in death. Kneeling by the bedside, Nightline began to speak.

"We did it, dad. I just...I wanted you to know. You didn't die for nothing. We saved her, you and me." Tears began to fall from the stallions eyes. "I'm just so sorry you had to give your life for it. But Equestria will know what you did for us. You were the greatest father any pony could have asked for. I wish I could've told you how much I love you. I wish your granddaughter could've had more time with you. I wish you were here now, so you could see how everything you've taught me is impacting Equestria. But most of all, I wish you could give me your advice, just one more time. I love you, dad. I'm sorry."

Wiping the tears from his face, Nightline stood and left the room. The four ponies waiting outside perked up when he emerged from the house; they hadn't said a word since he left. He approached them with a smile on his face, soft but confident. Nightline made eye contact with each of them individually. First, Iris, who found comfort in seeing his expression. Then Luna, who met his gaze with a sad smile of her own, for she knew she was in her final hours with friends. Cherry Blossom was the next to see his eyes meet hers, and she saw nothing but the confidence of her father. The last to receive his attention was Aria, who looked nothing but proud of her son who had done so much and come so far. Glancing back across the three who weren't royalty, he broke the silence.

"I'm going with Luna back to Canterlot. You three should stay here for now. Mom, would you look after Cherry Blossom and Percy?"

Aria was more than happy to do as her son requested. "Of course. I would tell you to be careful, but you wouldn't listen anyways. Don't start any wars."

Nightline chuckled at her response, but offered none of his own. Instead, he turned and began leading the trek towards Equestria's capitol with Luna at his side.

"And what," Iris said, taking hold of Nightline's tail and forcing him to come to a stop, "makes you think I'm staying behind?"

"I don't know what's going to happen up there, so-"

"That's absolutely right. And if you think for one second I'm letting you charge into the unknown without me again, you might just be the dumbest unicorn in the kingdom," she added, cutting him off and showing an expression of joyful defiance. She knew he couldn't stop her.

Cherry Blossom also stepped forward without saying anything, but she looked at Nightline with a very clear silent message.

"I suppose you want to come too?"

"Of course she does. She is the leader of this whole operation, is she not?" Luna replied, making everyone giggle in some fashion.

"Go ahead, son. I'll watch after Percy, you just do what you have to do up there," said Aria as she levitated the feline over to herself.

Nightline nodded his thanks to her before once again turning and starting the walk. As they travelled, the sun began to rise. It seemed that Celestia had finally noticed that the skies were no longer locked in place by Nightmare Moon's magic. Luna in particular was glad of this, as even if her fate was sealed, at least Equestria was seeing daylight again.

"Does that mean Nightmare Moon is gone?" Fluttershy asked, looking around to her friends or Princess Celestia for answers.

The seven ponies were all standing in the courtyard. They had been in the royal hall planning their attack when a guard announced that the crimson moon was no longer in the sky. Princess Celestia wasted no time in raising the sun, knowing that if Nightmare Moon's spell had ended, it could be cast again at any time.

"Nothing is for certain," Twilight answered. "But it is a good sign."

"Y'rr darn toot'n it's a good sign! I reckon Luna found the strength tah beat Nightmare Moon all on er' own," Applejack added, quite enthusiastic.

"Our plan hasn't changed," Celestia interjected. "We can't be sure why the spell ended, so we still need to mount our assault on Everfree. If we're lucky, Nightmare Moon has been weakened somehow and will be banished without a fight."

"And what if Luna _has_ returned?" asked Rainbow Dash, who eyeballed the Princess suspiciously.

Without even glancing her way, Celestia replied, "Then her capture and banishment will be that much easier." Her voice was emotionless.

Rainbow, AJ, and Rarity all looked at Twilight with serious expressions, as if stating outright that something was amiss with Celestia. Fluttershy and Pinkie both uneasily eyeballed the Princess, whose eyes were trained on the horizon. Twilight stared at the floor, battling inside herself whether or not she should continue to trust her mentor unconditionally. The young unicorn took in a deep breath, emotionally and physically preparing herself to say something to Celestia.

"Princess Celestia," a male voice said from the doorway leading into the castle.

All seven ponies in the Courtyard turned to see Nightline Wordsmith standing just beyond the door. Twilight and her friends were all more or less happy to see him, but Celestia looked irritated.

"I thought I told you to stay in Ponyville," she growled, walking beyond the other six.

"You did," he replied. "And I disobeyed again."

"And I'll guess you have a reason?"

"Princess Luna is waiting in the Royal Hall," he replied. "Nightmare Moon is gone."

"Yee-haw!" Applejack exclaimed, reeling onto her back legs in celebration. Her five friends were quick to join in, all either cheering, dancing, or hugging.

Celestia looked far less happy. In fact, she almost looked even more displeased. "Twilight," she barked, silencing the celebration behind her. "Bring your friends. Stay behind me until I give the word, then capture her with the elements and send her back to the moon, where she belongs."

No reply could be given before she trotted back into the castle. She almost walked right into Nightline, and had he not moved, who knows if she would have. Twilight followed quickly, albeit looking disheartened. The other five were reluctant, but followed all the same. Nightline was the last, but still came closely behind. When the eight ponies arrived in the Royal Hall, they found Luna, Iris, and Cherry Blossom standing and talking to one another. Their conversation ended when Luna spotted her sister, and the two Pegasi alongside her backed away as she had wanted. Iris and Cherry Blossom quickly galloped over to stand beside Nightline, and all ten of them stood in a line facing Princess Luna. Celestia stood a few paces farther forward than the others, and had a look of anger painted on her face.

"Princess Luna, you are charged in alliance with Nightmare Moon with the commitment of high treason against Equestria," she stated. "As penance for your crimes, I, Princess Celestia, sentence you to eternal banishment from this and all lands. You will live out the rest of your days alone, trapped within the moon."

Cherry Blossom was the only one caught by surprise by those words. Every other pony was expecting it, even if they were hopeful they were wrong. The little filly had tears flowing, but said nothing. Luna, content to receive her punishment, nodded and spoke.

"I am sorry for any grief I have caused you. All of you have been wonderful friends," she said. "Twilight Sparkle, I will miss the times we spent together, few as they were. You have a bright future ahead of you. And it has been an honor to know you and your friends, the new wielders of the Elements of Harmony. Thank you for all that you have done for me." Every pony she addressed looked to be getting emotional, some even to the extent of crying. Looking then to Nightline, Iris, and Cherry Blossom, Luna approached them.

"Don't get any closer to them!" Celestia ordered harshly. As if on cue to her words, the three ponies walked forwards to meet her halfway, completely ignoring the solar Princess.

"Iris," Luna continued, "I have had very little time to get to know you. But you have Nightline's heart, and to me, that makes you a friend. Take care of him, in my stead." Tears began to form in her eyes as she leaned in and hugged the Pegasus who had taken the love of her Wordsmith. "And you," she said, breaking the hug and kneeling down to speak with Cherry Blossom. "I want you to stay out of trouble. And watch over the night, while I'm gone. You need to comfort your parents when they have bad dreams, alright?"

Cherry Blossom couldn't remain silent any longer. She began bawling as she wrapped around Luna's neck, hugging her tightly. Luna began crying as well, knowing that that little filly would become a great mare some day. When they finally broke apart, Cherry Blossom was pulled back and hugged by Iris, who did her best to comfort the filly. Luna then stood and turned her attention to Nightline, who tried to look strong but was clearly in anguish over saying goodbye.

"Nightline, my dear friend-" she began, but was cut off when the Wordsmith lunged forth and wrapped her in a hug which rivaled Cherry Blossom's. That hug spoke more for the two of them than a thousand words. When they separated, Luna looked into his eyes and smiled. "Goodbye."

Though she still looked stern, Celestia's expression had softened. She no longer seemed infuriated, but her eyes were still cold as ice as she watched Luna return to her place before them all. "It's time," the solar Princess said, signaling her six companions to begin the incantation. As they all began slowly moving forwards, Nightline again looked conflicted. Up until that moment, he had accepted what was going to happen, but now he felt wrong.

"Stop," he shouted, halting the six mares before they even passed Celestia. Everyone in the room looked at him quizzically. Everyone except Celestia, who could see what he was doing.

"You can't change this, Nightline," she stated.

The stallion walked out and stood in front of Luna, protecting her. "Then you'll have to banish me as well."

"Wordsmith, no!" Luna whispered. Iris and Cherry Blossom were equally shocked.

"Fraid Vocality served Nightmare Moon loyally. If Luna is to be banished for her crimes, then I will be banished with her for his."

There was hardly a pause before Celestia answered. "Very well. Twilight, now."

"No!" Cherry Blossom exclaimed, breaking free from Iris and rushing to her father's defense. "You're not banishing my dad! He's been nothing but good to Equestria!"

"Get her out of the way!" Celestia ordered. None of the six ponies moved.

"No, she's right," Iris called out, also moving to join Nightline. "And so has Luna. Her being back has brought more peaceful nights than I can count, not just for me but for everyone."

Celestia was growing anxious. With them standing beside Nightline and Luna, the incantation couldn't be done. Not unless they were all banished together; something which the Princess was actually considering.

"You two need to get out of the way. You understand what I'll have to do if you stand at their defense?" Nobody said anything, nor did they move. Sighing, Celestia continued. "Fine. You leave me no choice. Twilight, it's time."

All six of her companions looked at her in shock, almost to the point of disgust at the order given. Twilight was the only one who moved to obey.

"No."

"Applejack, what are you doing?" Rarity whispered, trying to coax her friend back.

Looking Rarity in the eye, the farm pony whispered, "Don't tell me none uh' this don't seem right," before walking out in front of them all and taking her place between Celestia and the other four ponies, staring at the Princess defiantly.

"AJ is right!" Rainbow Dash stated, taking flight and hovering over to the same area. "This is wrong."

The next to make her way out to them was Fluttershy, who uttered a quiet statement of agreement. Twilight was growing increasingly nervous. "Girls, what are you doing?" She muttered through her teeth.

Celestia watched as one by one, her allies became her adversaries. The judgment of each element of harmony passing in favor of Luna, a serious question was raised in her mind. Was she wrong after all? Rarity was the next to join them, saying that she had always trusted in Nightline before.

"And we should never abandon our friends," Pinkie added, also taking her place by Fluttershy. "Right, Twilight?" Twilight said nothing. Pinkie Pie placed her eyes on the purple unicorn, only to see her shrink back. She was still too loyal to Celestia. "Twilight?" She asked again, this time growing somber. She could see the conflict in her friends eyes, between choosing Celestia who was clearly out of sorts and choosing her friends, with whom she had faced every trial and adventure. The usually unwaveringly happy pony was saddened by the sight, seeing that Twilight was leaning towards and almost certain to choose Celestia.

"Don't do this," the Alicorn pleaded, discouraged by the lack of support for her cause. "If you defend her, you know what I am bound by oath to do. Please."

"No, you're wrong, Celestia. You're not bound to do anything," Nightline stated.

"I have already decreed Luna's banishment. Any who support or defend her must face the same law," she replied, her words spoken without an ounce of conviction.

"You were angry, Princess. You let your anger control you and you made that decree without thought. You were wrong." Celestia made no reply, but held eye contact with him. Her eyes showed surprise; none of her subjects had ever looked her in the eyes and said that to her before. "Go figure, a Princess isn't always right," he added softly. "And sometimes, she's even wrong. Would you believe me if I told you the great Princess Celestia wasn't perfect?"

The Princess said nothing. Instead, she looked down in apparent shame. Her eyes soon travelled again to look beside her as Twilight Sparkle began walking forwards, leaving her mentor's side. "Even you, my faithful student?" Celestia asked, yet there was no surprise in her voice.

The unicorn stopped midway between Celestia and the others and turned to offer her reply. "I'm sorry, Princess. I want to support you and stay by your side. I've spent my entire life believing you were a symbol of perfection, but I have to trust my heart. And after everything I've learned about friendship since coming to Ponyville, its telling me that we can't go through with this."

With that said, Twilight joined her friends and stood proud with them. Together, the Elements of Harmony stood strong. Princess Celestia's eyes fell to the ground, showing that her pride had been all but shattered. She stood alone. Sighing, she looked up and past all of the ponies before her to make eye contact with Luna. "Nightmare Moon?"

"I realize now that I will never be rid of my darker half. As much as I hate the pain she has caused my subjects, she is a part of who I am. Though I will never see the day where she is gone, on this day, I know in my heart that I have made peace with her," Luna replied.

"Then I suppose I'm left with no choice. Princess Luna, by the Elements of Harmony, you are pardoned for the crimes committed by Nightmare Moon," she declared.

Princess Luna's eyes went wide, as did Nightline's. Every other pony in the room erupted with cheers and celebration, But Nightline and his Princess remained silent. The articulate stallion turned to face her, almost not believing what they had heard. Lost for words, all they could do was embrace one another in a joyous hug.

"Thank you, Nightline. Thank you."

"I couldn't have-"

"No," She interrupted, pulling away from the hug. "No humility this time. This is your victory."

Nightline smiled. "No, it was ours."

"It was," said Celestia, who approached the two slowly. "Luna, I am so sorry. I was a fool to have treated you the way that I did. To abandon you when you needed guidance."

"I was the fool, Tia. I believed that love was the only thing that could make me happy, but one good friend is more than enough."

Celestia smiled, before replying, "I suppose we were both fools, then. And you, Nightline Wordsmith," she said, turning to face him. "You've certainly found your way in the world, haven't you? You've come far from the colt we found in Ponyville."

"Indeed," Luna added. "Your father would be proud."

"Thank you," he replied. In that moment, Nightline glanced past the two Princesses and saw Iris Pinkberry and Cherry Blossom both standing and waiting with soft but prideful smiles on their faces.

The two of them standing besides one another was a beautiful sight to see for the stallion. His daughter who made him prouder every day, and his beloved Pegasus whom he couldn't imagine life without. His family, through and through. Nightline couldn't help but continue to stare and contemplate the years of his future; the years he would spend with them. He knew, that instant, that there wasn't a pair of Ponies in Equestria or beyond with whom he wanted to spend his life. Imagining that future, he smiled. Princess Luna had been watching him through his entire thought process, and seeing where his eyes were trained, she knew what was going through his head.

"Go," she said, grabbing his attention. With an encouraging smile, she added, "Go be with her."

The stallion was hesitant. Though he knew his own feelings and desires, he also knew Luna's better than he ever had. "Luna, are you-"

"Don't worry about me. I'm going to be alright. I know that no matter who you give your heart to, you will always be my friend."

It brought great joy to Nightline's heart to hear that she was at peace with the situation, and it brought even more to the heart of Princess Celestia. The Princess of the Sun, though happy that her sister had returned, was afraid. She was afraid that one kiss, hug, or even wedding for Nightline which didn't include Luna would break her heart again and mark Nightmare Moon's return. However, hearing her words spoken genuinely, Celestia knew that wouldn't be the case. Her belief was only bolstered when her sister and the Wordsmith embraced one another, not as lovers, but as loving friends. What no present pony could have known was that there were two more souls also finding peace at that moment. The Spirits of Nightmare Moon and Fraid Vocality, who stood together unseen and unfelt, smiled as their lighter half's came together, knowing that they would always have each other and would never want for love again. When Nightline pulled away from Luna, he gave her one last smile before turning and trotting over to Iris and Cherry Blossom.

Lifting his daughter into a hug and holding her there, he uttered three words before leading Iris out of the hall, out of the castle, and out of Canterlot. "Let's go home."

Life is strange, and fleeting. Even in the land of Equestria where ponies wield magic strong enough to raise and lower the sun and moon, wings strong enough to fly at supersonic speeds, and legs strong enough to fell mighty trees, it is strange all the same. From a colt with no talent finding himself as a servant and friend to the moon, to an artistic Pegasus barely scraping by with her work suddenly finding herself with more commissions than she can handle. An orphaned philly with no hope meeting the father she'd always dreamed of and going off to live in a castle. A wedding with the Princess of the Moon as the groom's Best Mare, and a filly earning a cherry-shaped cutie mark on the same day as she gained a mother. One never knows how things will turn out, no matter how good or bad they are now. We all simply keep pushing on, trying to find our way through the mess we call life just as Nightline did. We can only hope that our trials will end as happily as the Way of the Wordsmith.


End file.
